ROHRMANN  --   Project VQS  --  Verbal qualifiers for rating scales
Preliminary results (June 2000)


Best-suitable VSPL's (Verbal Scale Point Labels), based on overall means (task "NW" only),
from studies A-C/J/N/P and B-C/N for the construction of 5-point scales.

Scores below refer to a 0..10 scaling task.
 

FREQUENCY   

<1>  never (0.1)   

<2>  seldom (1.7)       rarely (1.3)   

<3>  sometimes (3.6)    occasionally (3.2)                 gap <3> to <4>!

<4>  often (6.6)        frequently (7.4)      

<5>  always (10.0)      very often (8.3)                   gap <4> to <5>!

          

INTENSITY         

<1>  not at all (0.0)   not (0.4)      

<2>  slightly (2.5)     a little (2.5)      

<3>  fairly (5.3)       moderately (5.0)    average (4.8)    

<4>  considerably (7.6) quite a bit (6.5)   mainly (6.8)   not good: rather(5.8)

<5>  extremely (9.6)    very much (8.7)     very (7.9)   

          

PROBABILITY         

<1>  certainly not (0.2)          

<2>  probably not (1.9) unlikely (1.7)      

<3>  possibly (5.0)     about 50:50 (4.8)      

<4>  probably (6.8)     quite likely (7.4)  likely (6.9)   

<5>  certainly (9.6)    for sure (9.8)      

          

QUALITY         

<1>  bad (1.0)          poor (1.5)      

<2>  inadequate (1.9)   unsatisfactory (1.8)               no good word available

<3>  fair (5.2)         medium (5.0)        average (4.9)   

<4>  good (7.2)          

<5>  excellent (9.7)    very good (8.5)      

          

AGREEMENT         

<1>  fully disagree (0.2)  strongly disagree (0.4)    

<2>  mainly disagree (2.4) somewhat disagree (3.2)         not good: disagree (1.6)

<3>  neutral (4.9)         undecided (4.8)      

<4>  mainly agree (7.4)    somewhat agree (6.4)            not good: agree (8.1)

<5>  fully agree (9.7)     strongly agree (9.6)    

 

NOTE:
Main considerations for choosing a Verbal Scale Point Label (VSPL) are:
(1) appropriate position on the dimension to be measured;
(2) low standard deviation;
(3) linguistic compatibility with the other VSPL's of the constructed scale;
(4) sufficient familiarity of the expression;
(5) likelihood of utilisation when used in substantive research.

BR 30-06-00