Inverse Scales of Opinion Obtained by Sensory-Modality Matching

Abstract

Two experiments demonstrated that for group data the sensory-modality opinion scales for an attribute and its opposite are related in an inverse manner just as the inverse scales obtained by magnitude estimation and cross-modality matching in psychophysics. In one study, 24 subjects matched handgrip force to trigrams to indicate both ease and difficulty of pronunciation. In the other, 38 subjects matched apparent duration to occupations to indicate their desirability and undesirability. Both studies employed counterbalanced procedures. The inverse-scale relations for individuals were also examined; they varied widely across persons with only a few individuals giving inversely proportional scales. The results were related to other psychophysical and opinion scale studies.