Do different response formats change the latent structure of responses? Anempirical investigation using taxometric analysis

Although Web-based surveys are increasing in popularity, very little resear ch has been conducted on the psychometric implications of using different u ser interfaces for eliciting responses to survey items. The purpose of this study was to compare the latent structures of responses to two different u ser interface response formats in a Web-based survey. two different coheren t cut kinetics taxometric procedures-MAMBAC and L-mode factor analysis-were used to examine the latent structure of responses to a survey of library s ervice quality using an unnumbered slider-bar user interface versus a radio button user interface. Strong evidence was found for a pure dimensional lat ent structure of responses from both user interfaces, which replicated acro ss both taxometric procedures and across multiple survey items. It is concl uded that the slider-bar and radiobutton user interfaces both yield similar latent structures of survey item responses. The implications of these Find ings for the construction of Web-based surveys are discussed.