| Abstract: | On occasion, rating scales are used in which the verbal labels are compressed to saturate one end of the response continuum. In these scales, differences arise between the normal meaning of the label and its scalar position. This paper investigated the influence of the label and the position in defining the meaning of the labeled position. Three forms of labeled rating scale were constructed where the labels FAIR and GOOD were systematically moved. Subjects judged the desirability of premarked responses on the scales. In addition, two forms were used to determine the desirability of the unlabeled scale position and the desirability of the label independent of a rating scale. When label and position differed in meaning, the labeled position was rated as a compromise between the scale value of the label and the position |
