Effects of stem and likert response option reversals on survey internal consistency: If you feel the need, there is a better alternative to using those negatively worded stems
Jj. Barnette, Effects of stem and likert response option reversals on survey internal consistency: If you feel the need, there is a better alternative to using those negatively worded stems, EDUC PSYC M, 60(3), 2000, pp. 361-370
The controversy with regard to using reverse or negatively worded survey st
ems has been around for several decades; it is a practice of questionable u
tility intended to guard against acquiescence or response set behaviors. A
2 x 3 design in which item stem direction and item response pattern directi
on were crossed was used to determine effects on internal consistency relia
bility as measured by Cronbach's alpha. The condition having the highest al
pha was when all directly worded stems were used with bidirectional respons
e options. Alpha was higher and accounted for at least 10%, and in one case
20%, higher internal consistency as compared with any of the three conditi
ons in which negatively worded stems were used. This would indicate that th
e use of all directly worded stems and half of the response options going i
n one direction and half going in the other direction may be a better way o
f guarding against acquiescence and response set behaviors than the use of
items with negatively worded stems.