Individualized Rating Scales (IRS)

Rating Scale Measurement instrument used to elicit a rating. A rating is a systematic estimation of some attribute of a person, object, or event along some dimension (e.g., degree of agreement about finances) Agreement between you and your spouse about finances 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Do not agree at all Agree very little Agree a little Moderately agree Agree a lot Mostly agree Totally agree

Individualized Rating Scale (IRS) Scales for rating the degree, magnitude, and intensity of problems identified for individual clients Tailor-made for each client Also known as a “target complaint scale”

Constructing IRS’s Identify and define problems Select rating dimensions Select number of response categories Select rating scale anchors Create equidistant response categories Select time period, event, or situation Set goals

Identify and Define Problems Identify, conceptualize, and operationalize problems

Select Rating Dimensions Quantitative quality or property (i.e., attribute) of a person, object, or event Quality of social support or of time spent with a spouse, children, or friends, etc. Degree of impairment caused by self-injurious thoughts, panic attacks, alcohol consumption, illegal drug use, or diabetes, etc. Severity of drug or alcohol cravings, stress, self-deprecating or intrusive thoughts, or tension or migraine headaches, etc.

Select Number of Response Categories Point on a rating scale that represents the degree, magnitude, or intensity of an outcome Can influence reliability and validity Large enough to detect important differences, but not so large that it is difficult to distinguish among categories 7 plus or minus 2 (i.e., 5 to 9)

Select Rating Scale Anchors Brief (usually) explicit labels, descriptions, or examples used to define points or numbers on a rating scale (e.g., 1 = poor, 2 = fair, 3 = good, 4 = very good, 5 = excellent). Define numbers Higher numbers should represent more of the dimension measured Anchors should be congruent with the problem being rated

Select Rating Scale Anchors (cont’d) Individualized or generic anchors Generic anchors can be applied to a wide variety of problems and clients allow comparability across problems Individualized anchors may be more relevant and meaningful to clients

Create Equidistant Response Categories Makes it easier to evaluate change View as a thermometer

Select Time Period, Event, or Situation Certain time at the end of each day or week In response to a certain event or situation such as after an interaction with a particular person

Set Goals and Objectives Point on the scale that the client, you, or a relevant other hopes to achieve Percentage change

Decide Who, Where, When, and How Often to Collect Data Select respondent(s) Decide when and where to collect ratings Decide how often to collect ratings

Who? Clients Practitioners Relevant others Independent evaluator

When and Where? Representative times and conditions Conditions conducive to accurate measurement Standardize times and conditions

How Often? Regular, frequent, pre-designated intervals to monitor clients’ progress, before, during, and after intervention Often enough to detect significant changes, but not so often that it burdensome to the rater or intrudes on intervention efforts

Engage and Prepare Clients Be certain the client understands and accepts the value and purpose of monitoring progress Discuss confidentiality Present measures with confidence Don’t ask for info the client can’t provide Be sure the client is prepared Be careful how you respond to information Use the information that is collected

Advantages of IRSs Can be completed by clients, practitioners, relevant others, or independent evaluators Tailored to individual clients Flexibility in the type of problem Measure the degree, magnitude, or intensity of problems Easy to use, and so can be used frequently Easy to interpret

Precautions in Using IRSs Consider behavioral observation when interest is in measuring the duration or frequency of a behavior Consider standardized scales when interest is in measuring a construct with general relevance to different clients