Developing equivalent Chinese and English scale-point labels for rating scales used in survey research
Citation
Export citationAu, W., Rohrmann, B., Taylor, P.J., Ho, J.M. & Yeung, S. (2010). Developing equivalent Chinese and English scale-point labels for rating scales used in survey research. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 14(2), 91-111.
Permanent Research Commons link: https://hdl.handle.net/10289/5583
Abstract
Rating scales are the most frequently-used response tool in surveys, and the scale levels are commonly described with words [verbal scale-point labels (VSPL)]. In this study, Chinese VSPL were identified which employ five-point scales that are psychometrically equivalent to English VSPL. In several bilingual studies, a total of 61 Chinese and 44 English items addressing intensity, frequency, and agreement rating modalities were tested. For each VSPL, three aspects were measured: position between minimum and maximum, familiarity, and appeal. The correspondence between pertinent Chinese and English words was also assessed. Based on these findings, we recommend specific VSPL that are best-suited for achieving equivalence between Chinese and English in rating scales.