Question

When Guttman scaling is being used, an individual's score is equal to the

a) Sum of scores
b) Mean of scores
c) Median of scores
d) Mode of scores

Answer 1

In Guttman scaling, an individual's score is equivalent to the sum of scores, reflecting the total number of items they agree with in a hierarchically ordered set.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Guttman scaling is being used, an individual's score is equal to the sum of scores. Guttman scaling, also known as cumulative scaling or scalogram analysis, is a unidimensional scaling method used for binary data. In this type of scaling, items are arranged in a hierarchy so that if an individual agrees to a particular item, they are also expected to agree to all lower-ranked items. The total score on a Guttman scale is the number of positive responses or items with which the individual agrees, meaning that it is the aggregate or sum of all scores.

To clarify, the mean, median, and mode are statistical measures that represent different aspects of data distribution. In Guttman scaling, however, the score isn't determined by any of these measures; it is simply the total count of items affirmed.