Forced-Choice Modeling

The forced-choice (FC) format in psychological assessment is an alternative to other more widespread response types, like rating scales in particular. The resurgence of the FC format in the last decade is related to the promise of being able to reduce the impact of response biases on the validity of responses when using FC instead of ratings.

Instead of asking respondents to state the extent of (dis)agreement with isolated statements as is typically done with ratings, respondents must compare a set of at least two statements with respect to their fit as a description of oneself, for example. Despite the fact that the FC format has a long history in psychological assessment, its usefulness for interindividual comparisons has been severely restricted by the limited interpretation of its ipsative scores. Methodological advancements with modeling data from FC assessments in the last decade enabled interpretations to go beyond the confinements associated with ipsative scores. At the center of these developments is Thurstonian Forced-Choice Measurement.

Our research activities focus on the improvement of Thurstonian FC Measurement. This includes the extension of the modeling approach via confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory. Our research efforts also address the technical applicability of the FC method and its usability in practical applications. In the latter context, FC questionnaires are designed for the assessment of various traits, including dark personality and general personality factors.

Interested in collaborating with us? Considering a Bachelor or Master Thesis in Psychology or an internship in this area? Great! Please contact us -> Prof. Dr. Ralf Schulze & Dr. Markus Jansen