Examining the Meaning of Vague Quantifiers in Higher Education: How Often Is "Often"?

Autor/inn/en	Rocconi, Louis M.; Dumford, Amber D.; Butler, Brenna
Titel	Examining the Meaning of Vague Quantifiers in Higher Education: How Often Is "Often"?
Quelle	In: Research in Higher Education, 61 (2020) 2, S.229-247 (19 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Rocconi, Louis M.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0361-0365
DOI	10.1007/s11162-020-09587-8
Schlagwörter	Student Surveys; College Students; Rating Scales; Response Style (Tests); Student Characteristics; Differences + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schülerbefragung; Collegestudent; Rating-Skala; Antwortverhalten; Unterscheiden
Abstract	Researchers, assessment professionals, and faculty in higher education increasingly depend on survey data from students to make pivotal curricular and programmatic decisions. The surveys collecting these data often require students to judge frequency (e.g., how often), quantity (e.g., how much), or intensity (e.g., how strongly). The response options given for these questions are usually vague and include responses such as "never," "sometimes," and "often." However, the meaning that respondents give to these vague responses may vary. This study aims to determine the efficacy of using vague quantifiers in survey research. More specifically, the purpose of this study is to explore the meaning that respondents ascribe to vague response options and whether or not those meanings vary by student characteristics. Results from this study indicate a high degree of correspondence between vague and numeric response and suggest that students seem to adapt the meaning of "sometimes," "often," and "very often" based on the appropriate reference for the question. Overall, findings provide evidence of the utility and appropriateness of using vague response options. Some differences by student characteristics and the implications of these differences are discussed. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01