Investigation of Method Effect of Keying in Psychometric Instruments

• In Event: Scale Development and Validation Across Diverse Educational Contexts

Abstract

This study introduces an innovative approach to keying methods in self-report psychometric instruments. The purpose of this research was to examine the method effect of keying through structural equation modeling (SEM). Using responses from 2,104 students, five hypothetical models were examined and evaluated to assess keying methods. The reliability of each keying method was analyzed with several omega coefficients. Findings revealed that the keying method was detected, however, the structure of keying displayed inconsistent probability of variance associated with the reliability in different assessments. This research addresses gaps in understanding keying effects in self-report psychometric instruments and highlights its impact on the accuracy of assessing constructs of interest and parameter estimates. Scholarly significances were discussed and summarized.

Author

• Lin Ma, Augusta University