TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - Why questionnaire scores are not measures: a question-raising article
JO  - American journal of physical medicine and rehabilitation
A1  - Tesio, Luigi
A1  - Scarano, Stefano
A1  - Hassan, Samah
A1  - Kumbhare, Dinesh
A1  - Caronni, Antonio
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - Any person is provided by characteristics that can be neither located in body parts nor directly observed (so-called "latent" variables): these may be behaviors, attitudes, perceptions, motor and cognitive skills, knowledge, emotions, and the like. PRM frequently faces variables of this kind, the target of many interventions. Latent variables can only be observed through representative behaviors (e.g., walking for independence, moaning for pain, social isolation for depression, etc.). To measure them, behaviors are often listed and summated as items in cumulative questionnaires ("scales"). Questionnaires ultimately provide observations ("raw scores") with the aspect of numbers. Unfortunately, they are only a rough and often misleading approximation to true measures for various reasons. Measures should satisfy the same measurement axioms of physical sciences. In the present article, the flaws hidden in questionnaires' scores are summarised, and their consequences in outcome assessment are highlighted. The report should inspire a critical attitude in the readers and foster the interest in modern item response theory, with reference to Rasch analysis.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0894-9115
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PHM.0000000000002028
ID  - ref1
ER  -