Academic literature on the topic 'Ipsative scale'

Abstract Objectives Life experiences are thought to prompt changes in personality. However, existing studies find few replicable mean-level changes in personality following life events. The focus on mean-level change may obscure other types of personality change that are not routinely studied in the context of life events. These are variability in response, structural, and ipsative change. Methods The current proposal examines whether major life events (e.g., divorce and job loss) affect these 3 understudied types of personality trait change using 3 waves of Big Five trait data in a large-scale, representative longitudinal study (German Socioeconomic Panel Study, N = 16,368). Structural equation models compare those who had an event to their prior self and a control group who did not experience the event. Results Life events were found to have mostly null or small effects on variability in response, structural, and ipsative change. Across 2 types of tests for variability in response, few replications occurred. The only consistent effect across 3 types of change was for mental health events, which served to increase variance in all Big Five traits and increase consistency in ipsative profiles. Discussion Life events tend not to affect these novel metrics of personality trait change. The one exception of mental health events is consistent with previous literature on mean-level change. Overall, life events do not appear to by major catalysts of personality change, regardless of how change is defined.

Using scores of preferences for one scale over another gives 15 preference scores instead of 6 scale scores. This is shown to reduce the intercorrelations from a mean r of −.20 among the 6 scale scores to a mean absolute r of .05 among the 15 preference scores.

Forced-choice questionnaires have been proposed to avoid common response biases typically associated with rating scale questionnaires. To overcome ipsativity issues of trait scores obtained from classical scoring approaches of forced-choice items, advanced methods from item response theory (IRT) such as the Thurstonian IRT model have been proposed. For convenient model specification, we introduce the thurstonianIRT R package, which uses Mplus, lavaan, and Stan for model estimation. Based on practical considerations, we establish that items within one block need to be equally keyed to achieve similar social desirability, which is essential for creating forced-choice questionnaires that have the potential to resist faking intentions. According to extensive simulations, measuring up to five traits using blocks of only equally keyed items does not yield sufficiently accurate trait scores and inter-trait correlation estimates, neither for frequentist nor for Bayesian estimation methods. As a result, persons’ trait scores remain partially ipsative and, thus, do not allow for valid comparisons between persons. However, we demonstrate that trait scores based on only equally keyed blocks can be improved substantially by measuring a sizable number of traits. More specifically, in our simulations of 30 traits, scores based on only equally keyed blocks were non-ipsative and highly accurate. We conclude that in high-stakes situations where persons are motivated to give fake answers, Thurstonian IRT models should only be applied to tests measuring a sizable number of traits.

BackgroundThe Long Term Plan presents an ambitious vision for England’s National Health Service which will require a sustained programme of transformational change. The Virtual Academy of Large-Scale Change (VALSC) was developed to build capability in health and care system teams involved in transformation or redesign programmes.MethodsTo evaluate the VALSC, quantitative and qualitative data were collected and reviewed against the Kirkpatrick model. Quantitative data were collected via end-of-session surveys to assess individual knowledge before and after participating in capability-building interventions. Qualitative data were also collected and included post-intervention surveys and interviews. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using an inductive approach to identify themes that were subsequently assessed against the Kirkpatrick model.ResultsResults suggest that the VALSC programme has helped build capability for large-scale change in terms of learning, behaviour change and impact. Participants’ ipsative self-assessment of knowledge demonstrated a significant change (p<0.001) and qualitative data suggested three broad themes in which the VALSC made an impact. First, participants were empowered with transformation and change skills which they applied to local health and care challenges. Second, VALSC helped strengthen connections within and between transformational change teams. Third, VALSC helped transformational change teams to engage more effectively with their stakeholders.ConclusionsThe VALSC developed knowledge, skills, behavioural change and application impact that built capability in individuals and teams. Therefore, continuing to develop capability-building offers that empower and build agency in front-line staff working on service transformation and equip them with approaches, methods and tools to increase their chances of success, is recommended.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to test and explore alignment theory as a guiding principle for human resource development (HRD) by performing an empirical study. HRD scholars, professionals and others have adopted or assumed alignment theory to help explain HRD effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach – Constructs to measure an organisation’s strategic priorities and its HRD practices. A measure of HRD effectiveness was developed. A survey gathered data from 270 employees, managers and HRD staff in a sample of 76 organisations. Findings – The results show that HRD effectiveness does not vary with alignment as predicted. Forms of partial alignment, or the relations of an “odd couple”, are more strongly associated with HRD effectiveness than high alignment. Research limitations/implications – The use and integration of both normative measures (Likert scale) and ipsative measures (ranking) is necessary to capture alignment, but this limits the inferential statistics available to test validity and reliability. Qualitative data on case studies would be useful to explore alignment issues in context and depth. Practical implications – Stakeholders in organisations can use the “odd couple” interpretation of alignment as a fresh way to review and explore the opportunities and challenges of managing HRD effectiveness in an era where a narrowing and retrenchment of provisions is occurring and increasing. Originality/value – This study provides evidence which raises questions about alignment theory and policies intended to increase alignment. It suggests in the case of HRD, an alternative perspective that validates partial alignment can support effective HRD provisions.

There is re-emerging interest in adopting forced-choice items to address the issue of response bias in Likert-type items for noncognitive latent traits. Multidimensional pairwise comparison (MPC) items are commonly used forced-choice items. However, few studies have been aimed at developing item response theory models for MPC items owing to the challenges associated with ipsativity. Acknowledging that the absolute scales of latent traits are not identifiable in ipsative tests, this study developed a Rasch ipsative model for MPC items that has desirable measurement properties, yields a single utility value for each statement, and allows for comparing psychological differentiation between and within individuals. The simulation results showed a good parameter recovery for the new model with existing computer programs. This article provides an empirical example of an ipsative test on work style and behaviors.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how strategic corporate real estate (CRE) management varies across different types of organizational culture. Additionally, the authors examine how a set of well-established strategies is categorized by CRE executives and investigate whether there have been any changes in priorities of managers’ rating in importance of these strategies compared to a post-GFC study. Design/methodology/approachA wide-scale survey of CRE managers was undertaken in summer 2016. Two key components of the survey are namely importance scoring of CRE strategies after the framework of Gibler and Lindholm (2012) and organizational culture assessment based on the competing values framework of Cameron and Quinn (2006). Analysis of CRE strategy importance is undertaken based on the average score comparison per each cultural family, and additional features are reported based on the industry sector, firm size and CRE department size. Principal component analysis is used to provide statistical evidence on the grouping of CRE strategies by practitioners. FindingsEmpirical evidence points toward a clear division on the organizational culture dimension that differentiates effectiveness criteria of flexibility and discretion from stability and control. More specifically, clan and adhocracy cultural types prioritize employee-centric CRE strategies, whereas hierarchy and market cultures consider “Reducing real estate cost” as their single most influential strategy. Research limitations/implicationsThe competing values framework has been adapted from the original ipsative scoring process to reflect the fact that only one respondent per firm assesses their organization’s culture. Practical implicationsThe findings of this study are useful to CRE managers striving for maximum strategic fit within their firms as they unveil clear patterns of CRE strategy prioritization among different organizational culture types. Originality/valueTo the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first study that analyzes the inter-relationships among CRE strategies and organizational culture variations. Additionally, the paper provides a categorization of CRE strategies through statistical methods that follow a clear pattern based on the scope of each strategy.

La recerca va néixer de l’interès de mesurar les preferències dels individus quan se’ls demana que ordenin una llista d’opcions, ja siguin conductes o objectes, obtenint així dades rànquing. Això determina que l’individu està forçat a establir un ordre entre les seves preferències, donant lloc al que es coneix com a escala de mesura ipsativa ordinal. Aquest tipus de mesura té com a avantatge front a la d’escala normativa, com Likert, que disminueix la probabilitat del conegut problema d’ “acquiescense bias” i s’elimini l’efecte “halo and horn”. Per altre banda, la principal característica del vector de respostes es que la suma dels seus components serà sempre una mateixa constant i això dificulta l’anàlisi de les dades. El primer objectiu fou el de revisar els models estadístics per analitzar dades rànquing mesurades en escala ipsativa que donen informació sobre el procés discriminador. El segon fou estendre aquests quan es tenen mesures repetides de l’elecció dels individus respecte les seves preferències i/o quan es consideren covariables referents a característiques dels propis individus o de les alternatives a ordenar. La primera teoria que marca l’ús d’una escala ipsativa és la llei dels judicis comparatius de Thurstone (1927), on es postula que quan a un individu se li demana que emeti un judici es produeix un procés discriminador en el contínuum psicològic. És en aquesta escala continua no observada en la que rau el interès a fi de veure el perfil de preferències en termes d’ordre i distància entre les opcions. La metodologia avaluada per a trobar les solucions en escala d’interval continua, es va fonamentar en dues aproximacions. La primera, treballada per el grup de Böckenholt (1991-2006) es base en els models clàssics desenvolupats per Thurstone al 1931. En aquesta les observacions ordenades s’expressen com a diferències de les variables latents subjacents a cada un dels ítems de comparació. Així, imposant les restriccions proposades per Maydeu-Olivares (2005) a la matriu de covariàncies, s’obté un cas particular d’un model d’equacions estructural (SEM). Aquest permet estimar les mitjanes de les variables latents que correspondran a la posició de cada opció en l’escala continua d’interval. Si bé, la solució depèn de que es compleixi la condició de normalitat de les variables latents i l’algorisme no troba solució a partir de cert nombre d’opcions. A més el model no permet modelar situacions de mesures repetides. En la segona aproximació es troben els treballs del grup de Dittrich (1998-2012) basats en els models de Bradley-Terry (BTM) del 1952. Els BTM consideren que la distribució de cada un dels judicis aparellats segueix una llei Binomial. Així, treballant directament amb la taula de contingències, es pot expressar la funció de versemblança com un model log-lineal general (LLBTM). És a partir d’aquest segon model, i de les seves extensions per a covariables que proposem l’extensió pel cas de mesures repetides. Les diferents propostes metodològiques es van provar tant per dades simulades com en dos exemples reals de l’àmbit de l’educació en ciències de la salut. En un, s’estudien les preferències sobre l’estil d’aprenentatge (Test Canfield) d’estudiants de medicina i en l’altre es valora si l’opinió dels estudiants de fisioteràpia sobre les activitats d’autoaprenentatge és diferent abans i després de realitzar-les. Com a conclusions, • La diferència entre les aproximacions de Thurstone y Bradley-Terry rau en la distribució que segueix la funció de versemblança. • El model LLBTM permet incorporar modificacions a les condicions d’aplicació que donen lloc a cada una de les extensions del model que incorporen covariables. • El model LLBTM permet una extensió en la que la comparació entre les opcions no sigui independent donant lloc als models per a mesures repetides.
The research focus on measuring individual preferences when people are asked to sort a list of options, thus obtaining data ranking. This determines that the subject is forced to establish an order between their preferences, resulting in what is known as ordinal Ipsative measurement scale.The advantage of this type of measure over the normative measurement scale such as Likert, which reduces the likelihood of problems known as "acquiescence bias" and removed the effect "halo and horn". However, they statistical analysis is difficult because the vector-response sums always a constant.The objectives were to review the statistical models to analyze the preferences measured in Ipsative scale, to give information about the discriminating process and to extend these models when we had repeated measures and / or covariates.The law of comparative judgments (Thurstone, 1927) postulated that this process occurs in discriminatory psychological continuum. This continuum scale allows finding the distance between the options.The methodology evaluated based on two approaches. First, the working of Böckenholt group (1991-2006) based on classical models developed by Thurstone in 1931. They expressed the ranking data as differences in the latent variables underlying each of items for comparison. So imposing the Maydeu-Olivares (2005) restrictions on the covariance matrix, we obtain a special case of a structural equation model to estimate the means of the latent variables that correspond to the position each option in the continuous interval scale. While the answer depends on the Normality of the latent variables. In addition, the model not allows to have repeated measurements. The second approach is the work of the Dittrich group (1998-2012) based on Bradley-Terry model (1952), which assumes a binomial distribution of the pairs of comparison. Thus, the likelihood function expressed as a general log-linear model (LBTM). The extension we developed is from LBTM.The aim of first applied study was to known the learning style preferences of medical students. The purpose of the second study was assessed whether physiotherapy students' opinions about self-learning is different before and after perform them.Conclusions:• The difference between the approaches of Thurstone and Bradley-Terry lies in the likelihood function distribution.• The model BTM allows incorporate modifications to the application conditions that give rise the extensions incorporating covariates and consider repeated measures.