This document outlines different types of scales used to measure concepts in mass media and other fields. It discusses simple scales with a limited number of points, transforming scales that compare different measurement systems, and specialized scales like Thurstone, Guttman, Likert, and semantic scales. Thurstone scales involve rating statements on a concept, Guttman scales arrange items in a continuum, Likert scales use a rating approach on an agree/disagree scale, and semantic scales measure attitude using bipolar adjective pairs. The document provides details on developing and using each type of scale.

1. Outline for Scales
Nick Noyes
I.
II.
Define Scale
a. Complex system of measurement for Mass Media and other fields
i. Used when a single indicator is not good enough
b. Composite in order to accurately measure importance
Types of Scales
a. Simple
i. One of the most common scales
1. Scale with more points has more variation
2. 1-10 is the most popular, book says respondents do not like 0-9 and 1-9
3. It is best to say the higher the number the better
b. Transforming
i. Used to compare two different scales uses basic math
c. Specialized
i. Thurstone
1. Get a large sample of attitudes towards the concept
2. Judges then arrange the statements and vote on how favorable the
statement is towards the concept
3. Taking the median and average scores a questionnaire is made of the
statements of about 20 to 30 items
4. The statements are then worded so that the take can agree or disagree
with the statement
5. Used in personality tests
6. Large sample size
7. Very time consuming and labor intensive
ii. Guttman
1. Also called scalogram analysis
a. Items can be arranged along a continuum in such a way that a
person who agrees with the item or finds the item acceptable
should agree with all lesser variations of the item.
b. Presumes
c. How many items a person agrees with is how the scale is
scored.
iii. Likert
1. Summated rating approach
2. Used on a five to nine point scale ( between agree and disagree)
a. One of the most commonly used scales

2. III.
3. Each response is weighted and adds differently to whatever was being
defined.
4. E.g. radio shows
iv. Semantic
1. Used to measure attitude towards the subject.
2. Developed by Osgood suci and tannenbaum in 1957
a. They developed it to see the connotative meaning behind two
bipolar word. Adjectives.
b. Helpful in defining abstract concepts
i. E.g. feelings.
Questions
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_%28social_sciences%29