The Performance of the Expanded Format Over Likert Scale Response Format in a Large-Scale Educational Survey

• In Event: Applications in Systematic and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

The expanded format is an alternative to the traditional Likert-scale because participants select a complete response sentence instead of a response option. Research on this novel response format is relatively favorable and focuses on reliability and internal structure of psychological constructs. We examined this format on five educational outcomes in a heterogeneous population of college applicants. Our preliminary results reveal that the format affects participants' effort to start and complete the survey but does not affect the time spent answering. The measurement invariance test reveals that the item meaning changes depending on the type of response format. Our research calls into questions that these two response formats are alternatives because of the effects on behavior and the test internal structure.

Authors

• Edgar Valencia, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

• María Angélica Mora, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile