How does item wording affect participants' responses in Likert scale? Evidence from IRT analysis.

ABSTRACT: Researchers often combine both positively and negatively worded items when constructing Likert scales. This combination, however, may introduce method effects due to the variances in item wording. Although previous studies have tried to quantify these effects by using factor analysis on scales with different content, the impact of varied item wording on participants' choices among specific options remains unexplored. To address this gap, we utilized four versions of the Undergraduate Learning Burnout (ULB) scale, each characterized by a unique valence of item wording. After collecting responses from 1,131 college students, we employed unidimensional, multidimensional, and bi-factor Graded Response Models for analysis. The results suggested that the ULB scale supports a unidimensional struc

SUBMITTER: Zeng B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11486723 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature