This is a mess... How the hell can I validate the consumer behaviors’ scales of my SEM model?

Maria Pujol-Jover1, Irene Esteban-Millat1

1Marketing Research Area, Economic and Business Studies, Open University of Catalonia (UOC)

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to present an inclusive protocol to validate the consumer behaviors’ scales of A SEM model.

Contact: mpujoljo@uoc.edu iestebanm@uoc.edu

BACKGROUND: Before empirically contrasting a SEM model it is compulsory to validate not only each measurement scale by itself but also with the rest of instruments included in the model.However, the consumer behavior literature does not present an exhaustive and complete guide about process validation of scales. Authors propose countless criteria and levels to achieve this validity. There is a lack of consensus and certain ambiguities that need to be analyzed. As a consequence researchers have serious troubles to follow a simple process of scales validity.

RESULTS: We expect to demonstrate the psychometric properties of each construct (unidimensionality; reliability; convergent, discriminant and nomological validity;…) of our model through EFA and CFA. This would help a better understanding of our proposed protocol of scales validation.

CONCLUSIONS:

As the consumer behaviour literature needs a simple but rigorous guide to validate measurement scales we propose a complete and inclusive protocol to cover this gap in a methodological paper.

CONTRIBUTION: we integrate all different positions of researchers in a unique procedure. Moreover, we give an empirical application to illustrate the different steps to follow in the scales validation process. That is, we validate the different measurement instruments of a proposed model.

METHODS: Since the present paper has a methodological denotation is by itself an outcome. However, as we carry out a case study (obtained from an online survey to UOC students with a sample of 2574) to exemplify and clarify our proposed procedure it is necessary a particular methodology.

Statistic technique

Psychometric properties

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA)

Individual EFAs of measurement scales

Principal component factor analysis Reliability

Confirmatoryfactor analysis (CFA)

Global CFA of measurement model

Structural equations

Convergent and discriminant validity

Global CFA of structural model

Nomological validityInteractivity

Flow

Focus attention

Control

Time distortion Challenges

Positive affects

Learning

Content material

Lecturer attitude

Skills

Personalization

H10

H12

H7H13

H5

H11

H8

H3H1

H2

H4

H6

H14

H16

H15

H17

H9

Theoretical proposed model

Empirical analysis

EFA CFA

Factorial analysis aplication suitabilityCorrelations > 0,3 KMO > 0,5 Barlett sphericity test confirms significant correlations

Selection of the estimation method

Measurement model fitGFI, AGFI, NFI, TLI, CFI, IFI > 0,9RMSEA <0,08

Scales dimensionalityEigenvalue > 1Explained variance > 0,5Factor loads > 0,5

Convergent validitySignificative loads > 0,5Items unidimensionalityExplained variance analysis > 0,5

ReliabilityItem-total correlation > 0,3Cronbach alpha > 0,7

Reliability Composite reliability> 0,7

Discriminant validityConfidence intervals (correlation pairs of variables) do not contain the unit