Is Vague Valid? The Comparative Predictive Validity of Vague Quantifiers and Numeric Response Options

A number of surveys, including many student surveys, rely on vague quantifiers to measure behaviors important in evaluation. The ability of vague quantifiers to provide valid information, particularly compared to other measures of behaviors, has been questioned both within both survey research gener...

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Main Author: Tarek Al Baghal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: European Survey Research Association 2014-12-01
Series:Survey Research Methods
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/srm/article/view/5813
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spelling doaj-f7f314392c94423cbf1c88119b13ada22020-11-24T23:36:30ZengEuropean Survey Research AssociationSurvey Research Methods1864-33611864-33612014-12-018316917910.18148/srm/2014.v8i3.58135488Is Vague Valid? The Comparative Predictive Validity of Vague Quantifiers and Numeric Response OptionsTarek Al Baghal0Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of EssexA number of surveys, including many student surveys, rely on vague quantifiers to measure behaviors important in evaluation. The ability of vague quantifiers to provide valid information, particularly compared to other measures of behaviors, has been questioned both within both survey research generally and educational research specifically. Still, there is a dearth of research on whether vague quantifiers or numeric responses perform better in regards to validity. This study examines measurement properties of frequency estimation questions through the assessment of predictive validity, which has also been shown to be important in examining measurement properties of competing question formats. Data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), a preeminent survey of university students, is analyzed, in which two psychometrically tested benchmark scales, active and collaborative learning and student-faculty interaction, are measured through both vague quantifier and numeric responses. Predictive validity is assessed through correlations and regression models relating both vague and numeric scales to grades in school and two education experience satisfaction measures. Results support the view that the predictive validity is higher for vague quantifier scales, and hence better measurement properties, compared to numeric responses. These results are discussed in light of other findings on measurement properties of vague quantifiers and numeric responses, suggesting that vague quantifiers may be a useful measurement tool for behavioral data, particularly when it is the relationship between variables that are of interest.https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/srm/article/view/5813vague quantifiersnumeric responsesbehavioral frequenciespredictive validity
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Tarek Al Baghal
spellingShingle Tarek Al Baghal
Is Vague Valid? The Comparative Predictive Validity of Vague Quantifiers and Numeric Response Options
Survey Research Methods
vague quantifiers
numeric responses
behavioral frequencies
predictive validity
author_facet Tarek Al Baghal
author_sort Tarek Al Baghal
title Is Vague Valid? The Comparative Predictive Validity of Vague Quantifiers and Numeric Response Options
title_short Is Vague Valid? The Comparative Predictive Validity of Vague Quantifiers and Numeric Response Options
title_full Is Vague Valid? The Comparative Predictive Validity of Vague Quantifiers and Numeric Response Options
title_fullStr Is Vague Valid? The Comparative Predictive Validity of Vague Quantifiers and Numeric Response Options
title_full_unstemmed Is Vague Valid? The Comparative Predictive Validity of Vague Quantifiers and Numeric Response Options
title_sort is vague valid? the comparative predictive validity of vague quantifiers and numeric response options
publisher European Survey Research Association
series Survey Research Methods
issn 1864-3361
1864-3361
publishDate 2014-12-01
description A number of surveys, including many student surveys, rely on vague quantifiers to measure behaviors important in evaluation. The ability of vague quantifiers to provide valid information, particularly compared to other measures of behaviors, has been questioned both within both survey research generally and educational research specifically. Still, there is a dearth of research on whether vague quantifiers or numeric responses perform better in regards to validity. This study examines measurement properties of frequency estimation questions through the assessment of predictive validity, which has also been shown to be important in examining measurement properties of competing question formats. Data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), a preeminent survey of university students, is analyzed, in which two psychometrically tested benchmark scales, active and collaborative learning and student-faculty interaction, are measured through both vague quantifier and numeric responses. Predictive validity is assessed through correlations and regression models relating both vague and numeric scales to grades in school and two education experience satisfaction measures. Results support the view that the predictive validity is higher for vague quantifier scales, and hence better measurement properties, compared to numeric responses. These results are discussed in light of other findings on measurement properties of vague quantifiers and numeric responses, suggesting that vague quantifiers may be a useful measurement tool for behavioral data, particularly when it is the relationship between variables that are of interest.
topic vague quantifiers
numeric responses
behavioral frequencies
predictive validity
url https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/srm/article/view/5813
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