Exhibit 12.1 An advertiser has developed a television advertisement designed to create a "feeling of warmth" on the part of viewers since she believes that this will lead to positive attitudes toward the product,and ultimately to increased sales.In order to determine if the ad does produce the desired feelings in viewers,she has devised a three-item scale to measure the warmth construct.After viewing the commercial (independently),Joe had a score of 15 on the warmth scale and Perry had a score of 9.
Refer to Exhibit 12.1.Which of the following statements is FALSE?
A)The scale used is likely to be at least as reliable as a ten-item scale since a ten-item scale is more likely to inadvertently tap into constructs other than warmth.
B)If Joe and Perry had viewed the commercial and listened to instruction together at the same time,and then had completed the scales,at least one source of variation might have been greatly reduced.
C)It is possible that Perry's lower score might have resulted from accidentally checking the wrong response.
D)Some relatively stable characteristic of an individual,such as Perry's unwillingness to share the actual intensity of his feelings,might have contributed to the difference in the two scores.
E)Joe did not necessarily have "warmer" feelings toward the ad than Perry.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The statement that the scale used is likely to be at least as reliable as a ten-item scale since a ten-item scale is more likely to inadvertently tap into constructs other than warmth is false. The reliability of a scale is not determined by the number of items, but by its internal consistency and ability to measure the intended construct. A ten-item scale may have better reliability if it measures the warmth construct accurately without including items that measure other constructs.