Self-Anchoring Scale

Does It Make a Difference

Bibliographic Data

ID2331248
AuthorsMyron J Lefcowitz, Barbara Strudler Wallston, Barbara Wallston
Year1973
Volume1
Issue3
Pages387-399
Publication date1973-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociological Methods & Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0049-1241 • E-ISSN: 1552-8294
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/004912417300100307
OpenAlexW1992094523
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited5

Self-anchoring scales are ones in which each respondent provides an individual definition of the end points of a dimension and then rates himself on this self defined continuum. Presumably (1) people will rate themselves differently when asked to define anchoring points as against not defining them; and (2) people with different self-definitions of the end points of a dimension will rate themselves differently. To test these two propositions, the responses of subjects (University of Wisconsin introductory psychology students) completing different forms of a work values questionnaire were compared. One group defined anchoring points on half the items, another did no defining, and a third group was administered both forms in a testretest fashion. The results of the analysis provide no evidence that (1) people give different ratings when defining the end points of a dimension, and (2) that different definitions lead to different rankings. The conclusion, therefore, is that self-anchoring scales, compared with scales whose end points are undefined, do not demonstrably provide any special advantage to the researcher

Anchoring · Combinatorics · Dimension (graph theory) · Respondent · Scale (ratio) · Significant difference · Statistics · Cognitive and psychological constructs research · Mathematics · Psychology · Sensory Analysis and Statistical Methods · Social Psychology

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