New scales for motive dispositions: UMS

[Felix Schönbrodt]

Hi all,
we published new scales that might be of interest - the Unified Motive Scales. We constructed scales for the measurement of motive dispositions (motive for power, achievement, affiliation, and intimacy) based on an IRT analysis of many existing questionnaires. As we provide short (6 items) and ultra short scales (3 items) for each motive, these might be interesting for use in round robin designs.

Detailed information (the publication, the questionnaires, and additional informations) can be found on a website: http://www.nicebread.de/research/quest/UMS

Cheers,
Felix


Schönbrodt, F. D., & Gerstenberg, F. X. R. (in press). An IRT Analysis of motive questionnaires: The Unified Motive Scales. Journal of Research in Personality.

Abstract: Multiple inventories claiming to assess the same explicit motive (achievement, power, or affiliation) show only mediocre convergent validity. In three studies (N = 1685) the structure, nomological net, and content coverage of multiple existing motive scales was investigated with exploratory factor analyses. The analyses revealed four approach factors (achievement, power, affiliation, and intimacy) and a general avoidance factor with a facet structure. New scales (the Unified Motive Scales; UMS) were developed using IRT, reflecting these underlying dimensions. In comparison to existing questionnaires, the UMS have the highest measurement precision and provide short (6-item) and ultra-short (3-item) scales. In a fourth study (N = 96), the UMS demonstrated incremental validity over existing motive scales with respect to several outcome criteria.

___________________________________
Dr. Felix Schönbrodt
Department Psychology - Motivation and Emotion
Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU) Munich
Leopoldstr. 13
D-80802 München

Phone: +49 (0) 89 2180-5217
Fax: +49 (0) 89 2180-3000
http://www.psy.lmu.de/allg2
http://www.nicebread.de