Essay

Describe the two different approaches to measuring 'financial responsibility' mentioned in the text, and state why the text indicates one approach is preferred for creating a multiple-item measure.

Question: Describe the two different approaches to measuring 'financial responsibility' mentioned in the text, and state why the text indicates one approach is preferred for creating a multiple-item measure.

Sample answer: The text contrasts asking separate, unrelated questions (like annual income, credit score, and a self-rating of thriftiness) with asking individuals to rate 1010 different statements about financial responsibility on the same five-point scale. The second approach is preferred because unrelated questions cannot be mathematically combined, whereas structured responses on the same scale can be summed or averaged to create a single, reliable overall score.

Key points:

  • Mentions the approach of asking unrelated questions, such as income or credit score.
  • Mentions the approach of rating multiple statements on the same scale.
  • States that unrelated questions cannot be mathematically combined.
  • Explains that structured responses on the same scale can be summed or averaged to create a single, reliable overall score.

Rubric: The student must correctly recall both approaches (unrelated questions vs. statements on a uniform scale) and identify the mathematical combination (summing or averaging) as the reason for preferring the uniform scale.

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Updated 2026-05-27

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU

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