1. Individualized Rating Scales (IRS)

2. 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

3. 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”

4. 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

5. Identify and Define Problems
Identify, conceptualize, and operationalize problems

6. 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.

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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

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

13. 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

14. Who?
Clients
Practitioners
Relevant others
Independent evaluator

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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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