Single-item measures: Queries, responses and suggestions

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1042.2019.01194

Abstract

Abstract:

Single-item measures have long been debated by researchers. Proponents advocate the efficiency of single-item measures, while opponents question reliability and validity of them. Through comprehensive qualitative and quantitative reviews, advantages and disadvantages of single-item measures are summarized, and doubts and debates in the literature are analyzed and responded specially. Through systematic review, results show that single-item measures have acceptable level of reliability and validity. More notably, the criterion-related validity of multi-item measures is not superior than single-item measures. With the review and current findings, issues that should be noted during the development and usage of single-item measures were addressed. Although multi-item measures are more acceptable, single-item measures may also have its legitimacy in academic research. That is, researchers should value the potential advantages and application scope of single-item measures, so that single-item measures can play its appropriate role in managerial psychology and social science research.

Key words: single-item, multi-item, measure, reliability, validity

CLC Number:

B841
B849

WEI Xuhua, ZHANG Lianghua. Single-item measures: Queries, responses and suggestions[J]. Advances in Psychological Science, 2019, 27(7): 1194-1204.

Figures/Tables 3

References 57

[1]	^*Abdel-khalek A. M . (2006). Measuring happiness with a single-item scale. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 34(2), 139-150. doi: 10.2224/sbp.2006.34.2.139 URL
[2]	Aiken L. R . (1980). Content validity and reliability of single items or questionnaires. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 40(4), 955-959. doi: 10.1177/001316448004000419 URL
[3]	Ang L., & Eisend M. , (2017). Single versus multiple measurement of attitudes: A meta-analysis of advertising studies validates the single-item measure approach. Journal of Advertising Research, 58(3), 1-10.
[4]	Bergkvist L. , (2015). Appropriate use of single-item measures is here to stay. Marketing Letters, 26(3), 245-255. doi: 10.1007/s11002-014-9325-y URL
[5]	Bergkvist L., & Rossiter J. R . (2007). The predictive validity of multiple-item versus single-item measures of the same constructs. Journal of Marketing Research, 44(2), 175-184. doi: 10.1509/jmkr.44.2.175 URL
[6]	Borenstein M., Hedges L. V., Higgins J. P. T., & Rothstein H. R . (2011). Introduction to meta-analysis. United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons.
[7]	^*Cheung F., & Lucas R. E . (2014). Assessing the validity of single-item life satisfaction measures: Results from three large samples. Quality of Life Research, 23(10), 2809-2818. doi: 10.1007/s11136-014-0726-4 URL
[8]	Churchill G. A., & Peter J. P . (1984). Research design effects on the reliability of rating scales: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marketing Research, 21(4), 360-375. doi: 10.1177/002224378402100402 URL
[9]	Credé M., Harms P., Niehorster S., & Gaye-Valentine A . (2012). An evaluation of the consequences of using short measures of the big five personality traits. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102(4), 874-888. doi: 10.1037/a0027403 URL
[10]	^* de Boer A. G. E. M., van Lanschot J. J. B., Stalmeier J. W., van Sandick J. W., Hulscher J. B. F., de Haes J. C. J. M., & Sprangers M. A. G ., (2004). Is a single-item visual analogue scale as valid, reliable and responsive as multi-item scales in measuring quality of life? Quality of Life Research, 13(2), 311-320.
[11]	^*Denissen J. J. A., Geenen R., Selfhout M., & van Aken M. A. G ., (2010). Single-item big five ratings in a social network design. European Journal of Personality, 22(1), 37-54.
[12]	Diamantopoulos A., Sarstedt M., Fuchs C., Wilczynski P., & Kaiser S . (2012). Guidelines for choosing between multi-item and single-item scales for construct measurement: A predictive validity perspective. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(3), 434-449. doi: 10.1007/s11747-011-0300-3 URL
[13]	Elo A. L., Leppänen A., & Jahkola A . (2003). Validity of a single-item measure of stress symptoms. Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health, 29(6), 444-451.
[14]	Fisher C. D., & To M. L . (2012). Using experience sampling methodology in organizational behavior. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(7), 865-877. doi: 10.1002/job.1803 URL
[15]	^*Fisher G. G., Matthews R. A., & Gibbons A. M . (2016). Developing and investigating the use of single-item measures in organizational research. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 21(1), 3-23.
[16]	Franke G. R., Rapp A., & Andzulis J. M . (2013). Using shortened scales in sales research: Risks, benefits, and strategies. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 33(3), 319-328.
[17]	Fu Y-C . (2005). Measuring personal networks with daily contacts: A single-item survey question and the contact diary. Social Networks, 27(3), 169-186. doi: 10.1016/j.socnet.2005.01.008 URL
[18]	Fuchs C., & Diamantopoulos A. , (2009). Using single-item measures for construct measurement in management research: Conceptual issues and application guidelines. Die Betriebswirtschaft, 69(2), 195-210.
[19]	^*Gardner D. G., Cummings L. L., Dunham R. B., & Pierce J. L . (1998). Single-item versus multiple-item measurement scales: An empirical comparison. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 58(6), 898-915. doi: 10.1177/0013164498058006003 URL
[20]	^*Gogol K., Brunner M., Goetz T., Martin R., Ugen S., Keller U., … Preckel F . (2014). "My questionnaire is too long!" The assessments of motivational-affective constructs with three-item and single-item measures. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 39(3), 188-205. doi: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2014.04.002 URL
[21]	Gorsuch R. L., & Mcfarland S. G . (1972). Single vs. Multiple-item scales for measuring religious values. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 11(1), 53-64. doi: 10.2307/1384298 URL
[22]	^*Gosling S. D., Rentfrow P. J., & Swann W. B . (2003). A very brief measure of the big-five personality domains. Journal of Research in Personality, 37(6), 504-528. doi: 10.1016/S0092-6566(03)00046-1 URL
[23]	Hinkin T. R . (1998). A brief tutorial on the development of measures for use in survey questionnaires. Organizational Research Methods, 1(1), 104-121. doi: 10.1177/109442819800100106 URL
[24]	^*Hoeppner B. B., Kelly J. F., Urbanoski K. A., & Slaymaker V . (2011). Comparative utility of a single-item vs. Multiple-item measure of self-efficacy in predicting relapse among young adults. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 41(3), 305-312. doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2011.04.005 URL
[25]	^*Jordan J. S., & Turner B. A . (2008). The feasibility of single-item measures for organizational justice. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 12(4), 237-257. doi: 10.1080/10913670802349790 URL
[26]	^*Kim H-J., & Abraham I. , (2017). Measurement of fatigue: Comparison of the reliability and validity of single-item and short measures to a comprehensive measure. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 65, 35-43. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.10.012 URL
[27]	^*Konrath S., Meier B. P., & Bushman B. J . (2018). Development and validation of the single item trait empathy scale (SITES). Journal of Research in Personality, 73, 111-122. doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2017.11.009 URL
[28]	^*Konrath S., Meier B. P., & Bushman B. J . (2014). Development and validation of the single item narcissism scale (SINS). Plos One, 9(8), e103459. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103459 URL
[29]	Konstabel K., Lönnqvist J-E., Leikas S., García V. R., Qin H., Verkasalo M., & Walkowitz G . (2017). Measuring single constructs by single items: Constructing an even shorter version of the "short five" personality inventory. Plos One, 12(8), e0182714. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182714 URL
[30]	Konstabel K., Lönnqvist J-E., Walkowitz G., Konstabel K., & Verkasalo M . (2012). The ‘short five’ (S5): Measuring personality traits using comprehensive single items. European Journal of Personality, 26(1), 13-29. doi: 10.1002/per.v26.1 URL
[31]	^*Kwon H., & Trail G. , (2005). The feasibility of single-item measures in sport loyalty research. Sport Management Review, 8(1), 69-88. doi: 10.1016/S1441-3523(05)70033-4 URL
[32]	^*Loo R. , (2002). A caveat on using single-item versus multiple-item scales. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 17(1), 68-75. doi: 10.1108/02683940210415933 URL
[33]	^*Macias C., Gold P. B., Öngür D., Cohen B. M., & Panch T . (2015). Are single-item global ratings useful for assessing health status? Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 22(4), 1-14. doi: 10.1007/s10880-015-9416-9 URL
[34]	^*Matthias S., & Magdalena B. , (2014). Meta-analytic guidelines for evaluating single-item reliabilities of personality instruments. Assessment, 21(3), 272-285. doi: 10.1177/1073191113498267 URL
[35]	Mosel J. N . (1953). Single-item tests for personnel screening. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 13(2), 179-192. doi: 10.1177/001316445301300204 URL
[36]	Nair A., Ataseven C., Habermann M., & Dreyfus D . (2016). Toward a continuum of measurement scales in just-in-time (JIT) research - an examination of the predictive validity of single-item and multiple-item measures. Operations Management Research, 9(1-2), 35-48. doi: 10.1007/s12063-016-0108-x URL
[37]	^Nagy M. S . (2002). Using a single-item approach to measure facet job satisfaction. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology*, 75(1), 77-86.
[38]	^*Nichols A. L., & Webster G. D . (2013). The single-item need to belong scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 55(2), 189-192. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2013.02.018 URL
[39]	^*Núñez-Peña M. I., Guilera G., & Suárez-Pellicioni M . (2014). The single-item math anxiety scale (SIMA): An alternative way of measuring mathematical anxiety. Personality and Individual Differences, 60(4), S75-S76.
[40]	Oshagbemi T . (1999). Overall job satisfaction: How good are single versus multiple-item measures? Journal of Managerial Psychology, 14(5), 388-403. doi: 10.1108/02683949910277148 URL
[41]	^*Postmes T., Haslam S. A., & Jans L . (2013). A single-item measure of social identification: Reliability, validity, and utility. British Journal of Social Psychology, 52(4), 597-617. doi: 10.1111/bjso.2013.52.issue-4 URL
[42]	^*Reysen S., Katzarska-Miller I., Nesbit S. M., & Pierce L . (2013). Further validation of a single-item measure of social identification. European Journal of Social Psychology, 43(6), 463-470.
[43]	Riordan B. C., Cody L., Flett J. A. M., Conner T. S., Hunter J., & Scarf D . (2018). The development of a single item FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) scale. Current Psychology, doi: 10.1007/s12144-018-9824-8.
[44]	^*Robins R. W., Hendin H. M., & Trzesniewski K. H . (2001). Measuring global self-esteem: Construct validation of a single-item measure and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(2), 151-161. doi: 10.1177/0146167201272002 URL
[45]	Roelen C. A., van Rhenen W., Groothoff J. W., van der Klink J. J., Twisk J. W., & Heymans M. W . (2014). Work ability as prognostic risk marker of disability pension: Single-item work ability score versus multi-item work ability index. Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health, 40(4), 428-431.
[46]	Roelen C. A. M., Heymans M. W., Twisk J. W. R., Laaksonen M., Pallesen S. L., Magerøy N., … Bjorvatn B . (2015). Health measures in prediction models for high sickness absence: Single-item self-rated health versus multi-item SF-12. European Journal of Public Health, 25(4), 668-672. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/cku192 URL
[47]	^*Russell J. A., Weiss A., Mendelsohn G. A . (1989). Affect grid: A single-item scale of pleasure and arousal. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(3), 493-502. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.57.3.493 URL
[48]	Sarstedt M., Diamantopoulos A., & Salzberger T . (2016). Should we use single items? Better not. Journal of Business Research, 69(8), 3199-3203. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.02.040 URL
[49]	Sarstedt M., Diamantopoulos A., Salzberger T., & Baumgartner P . (2016). Selecting single items to measure doubly concrete constructs: A cautionary tale. Journal of Business Research, 69(8), 3159-3167. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.12.004 URL
[50]	Spörrle M., & Bekk M. , (2014). Meta-analytic guidelines for evaluating single-item reliabilities of personality instruments. Assessment, 21(3), 272-285. doi: 10.1177/1073191113498267 URL
[51]	van der Linden S., & Rosenthal S. A . (2016). Measuring narcissism with a single question? A replication and extension of the single-item narcissism scale (SINS). Personality and Individual Differences, 90(3), 238-241. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.10.050 URL
[52]	^*van der Linden, S., & Rosenthal S. A . (2016). Measuring narcissism with a single question? A replication and extension of the single-item narcissism scale (SINS). Personality and Individual Differences, 90(3), 238-241. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.10.050 URL
[53]	^*Wanous J. P., & Hudy M. J . (2001). Single-item reliability: A replication and extension. Organizational Research Methods, 4(4), 361-375. doi: 10.1177/109442810144003 URL
[54]	^*Wanous J. P., Reichers A. E., & Hudy M. J . (1997). Overall job satisfaction: How good are single-item measures? Journal of Applied Psychology, 82(2), 247-252. doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.82.2.247 URL
[55]	Wohlgemuth V., & Wenzel M. , (2016). Dynamic capabilities and routinization. Journal of Business Research, 69(5), 1944-1948. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.10.085 URL
[56]	^* Woods S. A., & Hampson S. E . (2005). Measuring the big five with single items using a bipolar response scale. European Journal of Personality, 19(5), 373-390. doi: 10.1002/(ISSN)1099-0984 URL
[57]	Zimmerman M., Ruggero C. J., Chelminski I., Young D., Posternak M. A., Friedman M., … Attiullah N . (2006). Developing brief scales for use in clinical practice: The reliability and validity of single-item self-report measures of depression symptom severity, psychosocial impairment due to depression, and quality of life. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 67(10), 1536-1541. doi: 10.4088/JCP.v67n1007 URL

信度区间	单维构念				多维构念
	再测信度		最小信度		再测信度		最小信度
	数量	百分比	数量	百分比	数量	百分比	数量	百分比
小于0.60	8	13.33%	2	15.38%	1	33.33%	3	100%
0.60~0.69	11	18.33%	5	38.46%	2	66.67%	—	—
0.70~0.79	26	43.33%	4	30.77%	—	—	—	—
0.80~0.89	11	18.33%	1	7.69%	—	—	—	—
0.90~1.00	4	6.67%	1	7.69%	—	—	—	—
中位数	0.73		0.67		0.62		0.50

信度区间	单维构念				多维构念
	再测信度		最小信度		再测信度		最小信度
	数量	百分比	数量	百分比	数量	百分比	数量	百分比
小于0.60	8	13.33%	2	15.38%	1	33.33%	3	100%
0.60~0.69	11	18.33%	5	38.46%	2	66.67%	—	—
0.70~0.79	26	43.33%	4	30.77%	—	—	—	—
0.80~0.89	11	18.33%	1	7.69%	—	—	—	—
0.90~1.00	4	6.67%	1	7.69%	—	—	—	—
中位数	0.73		0.67		0.62		0.50

构念关系	k	N	r	ρ	95%置信区间		Q_W	失安全系数
构念关系	k	N	r	ρ	低	高	Q_W	失安全系数
单题项测量与多题项测量 (聚合效度)	45	36930	0.64	0.72***	0.66	0.77	2790.85***	151303
单题项测量与相似构念 (区分效度)	51	25225	0.20	0.22***	0.18	0.26	502.70***	12479

构念关系	k	N	r	ρ	95%置信区间		Q_W	失安全系数
构念关系	k	N	r	ρ	低	高	Q_W	失安全系数
单题项测量与多题项测量 (聚合效度)	45	36930	0.64	0.72***	0.66	0.77	2790.85***	151303
单题项测量与相似构念 (区分效度)	51	25225	0.20	0.22***	0.18	0.26	502.70***	12479

构念关系	k	N	r	ρ	95%置信区间		Q_W	Q_B	失安全系数
构念关系	k	N	r	ρ	低	高	Q_W	Q_B	失安全系数
单题项测量与效标	63	70478	0.11	0.12***	0.07	0.18	2514.96***	0.92	8323
多题项测量与效标	79	71872	0.14	0.16***	0.11	0.21	3954.72***	0.92	20413