Matching indices for use in forced-choice scale construction

Abstract

"… an attempt to integrate the results of previous studies by analyzing a comprehensive list of appearance scales derived from… the literature and from insights of people making decisions in a forced-choice test situation." 100 items were taken randomly from a larger pool, but later randomly reduced to 40. To 12 appearance scales was added a discrimination index. A correlation matrix, generated from mean item ratings, was factor analyzed to yield 5 factors. "The finding of a general factor, supported by previous studies, brings an element of economy to forced-choice scale construction tending to support the pairing of items on only one appearance index." (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)