Assessment, Statistics, and Research

Behavioral scientists commonly refer to four types of measurement or scales. Understanding the types of measurement or scales is important because some numbers have limited applications and they are misused. The four types of measurement scales are as follows: Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, and Ratio. This information is taken from Chapter 5 of Applied Statistics: Concepts for Counselors Nominal Scale This is often called the naming scale. The numbers allow researchers to classify people as belonging in a group. The numbers cannot be added or ranked. If we were studying treatment of people with depression we might form two groups simply numbers 1 and 2 for those getting treatment and those on a waiting list for treatment. All people in the study have a number but the number is just a classification. Numbers on sports team players may represent positions. Ordinal Scale The ordinal scale is a ranking scale. Performance can be ranked in order of high to low. You can r

The Adult Attachment Scale or AAS was developed by Professor Nancy Collins at UCSB. The scale was revised in 1996. Attachment theory developed from observations and experiments with children and primates. Many have focused on two dimensions of anxiety and avoidance (or closeness). In the AAS, professor Collins includes a subscale to measure the dependability of a friend. The full scale has 18 items rated on a 1-5 scale ranging from Not at all (1) to very (5) characteristic of me. Following are sample items: 1)          I find it relatively easy to get close to people.                                                      ________ 2)          I find it difficult to allow myself to depend on others.                                          ________ 3)          I often worry that other people don't really love me.                                             ________ The coefficient alpha values range from .78 to .85 for the scales in three studies. The full scale al

The Attachment to God Inventory (AGI) developed by Richard Beck and Angie McDonald (2004) consists of 28 items divided into two subscales (14 items each for Avoidant and Anxious Attachment). The AGI is based on attachment theory as applied to the study of the relationship between Christians and God commonly portrayed as a parent-child relationship and referred to in the literature as attachment to God (e.g., Kirkpatrick, 2012).  Avoidant attachment refers to a sense of distance from God. People close to God view God as protective.  Anxious attachment reflects an insecure relationship with God in contrast to a secure relationship. Participants rate each scale item from 1= disagree strongly to 7 = agree strongly . A sample item from the avoidant subscale is, “I prefer not to depend too much on God.” A sample item from the anxious subscale is, “I worry a lot about my relationship with God.” Based on two college and one community samples, Beck and McDonald (2004) re