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Pairwise comparisons as a scale development tool for composite measures

Author

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  • Ginevra Floridi
  • Benjamin E. Lauderdale
Abstract
Composite scales are widely used for measuring aggregate social science concepts. These often consist of linear indices obtained as the weighted sum of a set of relevant indicators. However, selecting coefficients (or weights) that reflect the substantive importance of each indicator towards the concept of interest is a difficult task. We propose a method for the generation of linear indices for aggregate concepts based on pairwise comparisons. Specifically, we ask a group of subject‐matter experts to perform a series of pairwise comparisons, with respect to the concept of interest, between profiles displaying different combinations of indicators. This allows us to estimate coefficients for each indicator that provide a linear approximation to how experts make the pairwise evaluations. As we show, the method makes it straightforward to assess intercoder reliability, while being a more accessible task than directly asking experts for coefficients. We demonstrate our method with an application to the concept of ‘productive ageing’, including a cross‐cultural comparison of weighting schemes derived from a group of Italian and a group of South Korean experts on this concept.

Suggested Citation

  • Ginevra Floridi & Benjamin E. Lauderdale, 2022. "Pairwise comparisons as a scale development tool for composite measures," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 185(2), pages 519-542, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jorssa:v:185:y:2022:i:2:p:519-542
    DOI: 10.1111/rssa.12790
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    References listed on IDEAS

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