You are in: South Asia
Change location

You are here

Book > Textbooks > Research Methods in Psychology

Disable VAT on Taiwan

Unfortunately, as of 1 January 2020 SAGE Ltd is no longer able to support sales of electronically supplied services to Taiwan customers that are not Taiwan VAT registered. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information or to place a print-only order, please contact uk.customerservices@sagepub.co.uk.

Scale Development
Share
Share

Scale Development
Theory and Applications

Fourth Edition
Volume: 26
March 2016 | 280 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Download flyer Recommend to Library
In the Fourth Edition of Scale Development, Robert F. DeVellis demystifies measurement by emphasizing a logical rather than strictly mathematical understanding of concepts. The text supports readers in comprehending newer approaches to measurement, comparing them to classical approaches, and grasping more clearly the relative merits of each. This edition addresses new topics pertinent to modern measurement approaches and includes additional exercises and topics for class discussion.

Available with Perusall—an eBook that makes it easier to prepare for class
Perusall is an award-winning eBook platform featuring social annotation tools that allow students and instructors to collaboratively mark up and discuss their SAGE textbook. Backed by research and supported by technological innovations developed at Harvard University, this process of learning through collaborative annotation keeps your students engaged and makes teaching easier and more effective. Learn more.
 
1. Overview
General Perspectives on Measurement

 
Historical Origins of Measurement in Social Science

 
Later Developments in Measurement

 
The Role of Measurement in the Social Sciences

 
Summary and Preview

 
Exercises

 
 
2. Understanding the Latent Variable
Constructs versus Measures

 
Latent Variable as the Presumed Cause of Item Values

 
Path Diagrams

 
Further Elaboration of the Measurement Model

 
Parallel Tests

 
Alternative Models

 
Exercises

 
Note

 
 
3. Reliability
Methods Based on the Analysis of Variance

 
Continuous versus Dichotomous Items

 
Internal Consistency

 
Reliability Based on Correlations Between Scale Scores

 
Reliability and Statistical Power

 
Generalizability Theory

 
Summary

 
Exercises

 
Notes

 
 
4. Validity
Content Validity

 
Criterion-Related Validity

 
Construct Validity

 
Exercises

 
 
5. Guidelines in Scale Development
Step 1: Determine Clearly What it is You Want to Measure

 
Step 2: Generate an Item Pool

 
Step 3: Determine the Format for Measurement

 
Step 4: Have Initial Item Pool Reviewed by Experts

 
Step 5: Consider Inclusion of Validation Items

 
Step 6: Administer Items to a Development Sample

 
Step 7: Evaluate the Items

 
Step 8: Optimize Scale Length

 
Exercises

 
Note

 
 
6. Factor Analysis
Overview of Factor Analysis

 
Conceptual Description of Factor Analysis

 
Bifactor and Hierarchical Factor Models

 
Interpreting Factors

 
Principle Components versus Common Factors

 
Confirmatory Factor Analysis

 
Using Factor Analysis in Scale Development

 
Sample Size

 
Conclusion

 
Exercises

 
 
7. An Overview of Item Response Theory
Item Difficulty

 
Item Discrimination

 
Guessing, or False Positives

 
Item-Characteristic Curves

 
IRT Applied to Multiresponse Items

 
Conclusions

 
Exercises

 
 
8. Measurement in the Broader Research Context
Before Scale Development

 
After Scale Administration

 
Final Thoughts

 
Exercises

 

“This is the foremost text on scale development for both the experienced and novice researcher alike.”

Richard Conti
Kean University

“The Fourth Edition captures the recent development in measurement (e.g., alternatives to Alpha, bifactor model, hierarchical factor model, and available tools in R) by explaining concepts using accessible languages and examples.”

Shuyan Sun
University of Maryland

“The Fourth Edition of Scale Development incorporates practical examples and exercises to aid in student learning and understanding the fundamentals of measurement. The text continues to be a go-to resource for scholars and students alike.” 

Stephen W. Dittmore
University of Arkansas

PRAISE FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITION

“The key strength of this text is its ability to present the basic and necessary background on scale construction and measurement for the subsequent material, either in the context of the same first-year graduate course or in future courses during a masters and PhD program.”

René Bautista
University of Nebraska – Lincoln

“This book does an excellent job in explaining complicated topics in test construction at a level that students can understand. The use of specific examples that demonstrate key points is very effective.”

Jonathan Feldman, Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University

Great organization of the flow in the text!

John Kennedy
Grad Counseling Program, Trevecca Nazarene University
August 18, 2020
Report this review

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1

Chapter 6

Robert F. DeVellis

Robert F. DeVellis is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Health Behavior (Gillings School of Global Public Health) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. DeVellis has more than 40 years of experience in the measurement of psychological and social variables. He served as the first domain chair for Social Outcomes of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) consortium, a multisite National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap initiative directed at identifying, modifying, testing, and disseminating outcome measures for use by NIH investigators. He has served on the Board of Directors for the... More About Author

For instructors

Purchasing options

Please select a format:

ISBN: 9781506341569
$45.00

Order from: