CFA-MTMM Model in Comparative Analysis of 5-, 7-, 9-, and 11-point A/D Scales

Piotr Tarka

Abstract

In this article author presents the results of comparative analysis in reference to scales based on 5-, 7-, 9-, and 11-point response categories. An attempt was made to find the optimum number of responses among these scales but in this regard to the assumptions underlying the Confirmatory Factor Model and MultiTrait-MultiMethod. For this purpose, the data was collected from a sample of young consumers (n = 200) studying at the universities in Poland. The specific aim of the research was focused on their attitudes, which measured different aspects of the companies’ unethical behavior in the context of marketing activities. For the comparison of scales, the author has applied four models derived from the generalized CFA-MTMM model. This model allowed the recommendation of the best scale, and also helped to evaluate the effects associated with the use of particular type of scale on the CFA-MTMM alternative models and extracted, through their agency, factors.