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Studies concerning the impact of the length of response scales on the measurement of attitudes have primarily focused on the method bias associated with question format. At the same time another line of research has focused on the issue of response styles that affect how respondents answer to attitude questions. So far, research has paid less attention to the issue of whether the length of the response scales is related to response styles. In this study, we explore if differences in length of the response scale (i.e., method factor) have differential effects in evoking extreme and midpoint response style behavior (i.e., style factor). Our hypotheses read as follows. As the number of response categories increases, we expect subjects to be more likely to exert extreme response style. Furthermore, we expect subjects to be more likely to adopt a midpoint response style when they are offered a middle response category. To investigate these hypotheses we developed a split ballot experiment in which the number of response categories is manipulated from 5 to 11 categories. Data are collected by a random sample, large-scale web survey which allows for random assignment to the experimental conditions. The results show clear evidence of extreme response style and moderate evidence of midpoint response style. Extreme response style is not affected by the length of response scales, whereas the exertion of midpoint response style only popped up in the longer scale versions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

When rating questions are used to measure attitudes or values in survey research a researcher might want to control for the effect of overall agreement with the set of items that is rated. The need for controlling for overall agreement arises when the set of items refers to conceptual opposite perspectives, when balanced sets of items are used, or when a researcher is interested in relative preferences rather than overall agreement. In this paper, we introduce a method for filtering out overall agreement when a researcher's aim is to construct a latent class typology of respondents, that is, a latent-class ordinal regression model with random intercept. With this approach segments in the population are identified that differ in their relative preference of particular items over other items in the set. Examples are given on the concepts of locus of control, gender role attitudes and civil morality. The examples demonstrate that when an overall agreement is present in the data, the method is able to detect it, and at the same time allows identifying latent classes of respondents that differ in their relative preference of the items being rated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is a growing interest in cross-cultural comparative research of attitudes. In many studies it is assumed that attitudes are comparable across cultures. Often this assumption is not tested. In this paper we argue that before comparing attitudes among different cultural groups two methodological issues need to be investigated. First, any measurement of latent attitudes should exclude the possibility that response style biases measurement. Secondly, cross-cultural comparisons are only valid if construct equivalence is tested. In this article we demonstrate the flexibility of a multigroup latent class factor approach in detecting extreme response bias and in investigating construct equivalence. Using data from the MHSM surveys among Turkish and Moroccan minorities in Belgium we detected a tendency toward extreme response style behavior in answering Likert type attitudes toward gender roles and perceived discrimination. Furthermore, a model with several covariates proved to be partially homogeneous. The results indicated that the partially homogeneous model with direct effects of ethnic group and correcting for response style behavior allowed for `fine-tuning' the estimated effects of the covariates on the latent content factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inglehart's postmaterialism thesis always steered controversy. This paper focuses on the internal consistency of the thesis by arguing that (post) materialism has two faces. It is demonstrated that unfolding the Inglehart index into two separate indices leads to the finding of differential effects of education and cohort. Only the issues of `giving people more say' versus `maintaining order' are autonomously related to cohort. Cohort differences as far as 'protecting freedom of speech' and 'fighting rising prices' are concerned are virtually completely levelled of after controlling for education and marital status. Education proved to be the single most important covariate in explaining these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]