title: Cognition and neurosciences development and evaluation of a category ratio scale with semantic descriptors: the Environmental Annoyance Scale.
abstract: The aim was to develop and evaluate a seven-point category scale, called the Environmental Annoyance Scale (EAS), with semantic descriptors and ratio-scale properties. Six studies were conducted that involved ratings of perceived magnitude of descriptors, selection of seven descriptors with semantic coherency, and ratings of various environmental issues. Seven semantically coherent descriptors with subjective equidistance and small interindividual variability were selected for the EAS. Environmental ratings on the EAS were linearly related to magnitude estimations, and the two rating procedures generated very similar exponents of the psychophysical power function. The used selection procedure was found to be reliable and not likely affected by the respondent's educational level, and the reliability of the EAS per se was found to be satisfying. The EAS appears to have properties that approach those of a ratio scale, and to be reliable and valid for assessment of environmental annoyance.
authors.affiliation: Umeå University, Department of Psychology, Behavioral Science Building, Umeå SE-90187, Sweden. steven.nordin@psy.umu.se
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nordin
authors.forename: Edvard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lidén
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gidlöf-Gunnarsson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000397:Air Pollution; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009488:Neurosciences / Q000379:methods*; D009622:Noise; D011581:Psychological Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012660:Semantics; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult