MGTO 324 Workshop 5: Construct Validity

Factor Analysis Suppose you have chosen 4 items (Q1 to Q4 from the data file provided: Q1: Gaze at me; Q2: Touch me; Q3: Listen to my complaints; Q4: Make me laugh whenever I feel sad) to measure love and recruited 60 people to answer them.

Factor Analysis Try to use factor analysis to (a) specify how many factor(s) there are and why? (b) give appropriate label(s) to the factors.

Interpretation Determining number of factors Eigenvalues The first two factors accounted for 49% and 39% of variance, respectively The third factor, added only 8% A two-factor model is favored

Interpretation Determining number of factors Plotting Eigenvalues A graphic determination

How should the items be classified?

Assignment Background Suppose you are an HR consultant. You asked your subordinates to construct a scale measuring “Rationality”. On the basis of some economics and psychology literature, you realized that “rationality” has two very different components, namely “logical thinking” and “emotional control”. You passed this information to your subordinates and let them construct the test. One month later, one of your assistants presented a 10-item scale to you. The first five items were supposed to measure “logical thinking” and the other five were supposed to measure “emotional control”. You then distributed this scale to 60 employees as well as their immediate supervisors. Each employee responded to all ten items and received 10 more responses of the same scale from his/her supervisor.

Assignment Task Assess the reliability of all scales and subscales Use factor analysis to examine the construct validity of the test Use Multi-trait-multi-method to examine the construct validity of the test (Hint: you have to compute a mean score for each scale)