Validating the use of anchoring vignettes for the correction of response scale differences in subjective questions
van Soest,A.H.O. Delaney,L. Harmon,C. Kapteyn,A. Smith,J.P.
van Soest,A.H.O.
Delaney,L.
Harmon,C.
Kapteyn,A.
Smith,J.P.
Abstract
Comparing self-assessed indicators of subjective outcomes (such as health, or job satisfaction) across countries or socio-economic groups is often hampered by the fact that different groups use different response scales. Anchoring vignettes are used as a tool to identify and correct for such differences. The paper develops a model in which objective measurements are used to validate such vignette-based corrections. The model is illustrated with an application to objective and subjective self-assessments of drinking behaviour by students in the Republic of Ireland. Model comparisons using the Akaike information criterion favour a specification with response consistency and vignette-corrected response scales. Put differently, vignette-based corrections appear quite effective in bringing objective and subjective measures closer together.
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Appeared earlier as CentER DP 2007-043 (rt)
Date
2011
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Research Projects
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Citation
van Soest, A H O, Delaney, L, Harmon, C, Kapteyn, A & Smith, J P 2011, 'Validating the use of anchoring vignettes for the correction of response scale differences in subjective questions', Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A-Statistics in Society, vol. 174, no. 3, pp. 575-595. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-985x.2011.00694.x