Measuring the variability of personality traits with interval responses

• Verfasst von: Kloft, Matthias [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Snijder, Jean-Paul [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Heck, Daniel W. [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: Measuring the variability of personality traits with interval responses
• Titelzusatz: Psychometric properties of the dual-range slider response format
• Verf.angabe: Matthias Kloft, Jean-Paul Snijder, Daniel W. Heck
• E-Jahr: 2024
• Jahr: 12 April 2024
• Umfang: 18 S.
• Illustrationen: Illustrationen
• Fussnoten: Gesehen am 26.07.2024
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: Behavior research methods
• Ort Quelle: New York, NY : Springer, 2005
• Jahr Quelle: 2024
• Band/Heft Quelle: 56(2024), 4, Seite 3469-3486
• ISSN Quelle: 1554-3528
• DOI: doi:10.3758/s13428-024-02394-4
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• Sach-SW: Continuous bounded responses
• Sach-SW: Item response theory
• Sach-SW: Multitrait-multimethod
• Sach-SW: Personality
• Sach-SW: Trait variability
• K10plus-PPN: 1896580254

Abstract

Measuring the variability in persons’ behaviors and experiences using ecological momentary assessment is time-consuming and costly. We investigate whether interval responses provided through a dual-range slider (DRS) response format can be used as a simple and efficient alternative: Respondents indicate variability in their behavior in a retrospective rating by choosing a lower and an upper bound on a continuous, bounded scale. We investigate the psychometric properties of this response format as a prerequisite for further validation. First, we assess the test-retest reliability of factor-score estimates for the width of DRS intervals. Second, we test whether factor-score estimates of the visual analog scale (VAS) and the location of DRS intervals show convergent validity. Third, we investigate whether factor-score estimates for the DRS are uncorrelated between different personality scales. We present a longitudinal multitrait-multimethod study using two personality scales (Extraversion, Conscientiousness) and two response formats (VAS, DRS) at two measurement occasions (6-8 weeks apart) for which we estimate factor-score correlations in a joint item response theory model. The test-retest reliability of the width of DRS intervals was high ($$\hat{\rho } \ge .73$$). Also, convergent validity between location scores of VAS and DRS was high ($$\hat{\rho } \ge .88$$). Conversely, discriminant validity of the width of DRS intervals between Extraversion and Conscientiousness was poor ($$\hat{\rho } \ge .94$$). In conclusion, the DRS seems to be a reliable response format that could be used to measure the central tendency of a trait equivalently to the VAS. However, it might not be well suited for measuring intra-individual variability in personality traits.