science

Phrase completions

Phrase completions is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Phrase completions rather than just read about it. In short: Phrase completion scales are a type of psychometric scale used in questionnaires. Developed in response to the problems associated with Likert scales, phrase completions are concise, unidimensional measures that tap ordinal level data in a manner that approximates interval level data.

Key takeaways

Phrase completions belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Phrase completions to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Phrase completions from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Phrase completion scales are a type of psychometric scale used in questionnaires. Developed in response to the problems associated with Likert scales, phrase completions are concise, unidimensional measures that tap ordinal level data in a manner that approximates interval level data.

Overview of the phrase completion method Phrase completions consist of a phrase followed by an eleven-point response key. The phrase introduces part of the concept. Marking a reply on the response key completes the concept. The response key represents the underlying theoretical continuum. Zero (0) indicates the absence of the construct, while ten (10) indicates the theorized maximum amount of the construct. Response keys are reversed on alternate items to mitigate response set bias.

Sample question using the phrase completion method I am aware of the presence of God or the Divine

Never Continually 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Scoring and analysis After the questionnaire is completed, the score on each item is summed together to create a test score for the respondent. Hence, phrase completions, like Likert scales, are often considered to be summative scales.

Level of measurement The response categories represent an ordinal level of measurement. Ordinal level data, however, varies in terms of how closely it approximates interval level data. By using a numerical continuum as the response key instead of sentiments that reflect intensity of agreement, respondents may be able to quantify their responses in more equal units.

References

Hodge, D. R. & Gillespie, D. F. (2003). Phrase Completions: An alternative to Likert scales. Social Work Research, 27(1), 45–55. Hodge, D. R. & Gillespie, D. F. (2005). Phrase Completion Scales. In K. Kempf-Leonard (Editor). Encyclopedia of Social Measurement. (Vol. 3, pp. 53–62). San Diego: Academic Press. Hodge, D. R. & Gillespie, D. F. (2007). Phrase Completion Scales: A Better Measurement Approach than Likert Scales? Journal of Social Service Research, 33, (4), 1–12.

See also Likert scale Analog scale Guttman scale Thurstone scale Mokken scale Bogardus Social Distance Scale F-scale Discan scale Diamond of opposites

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Phrase completions

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Phrase completions claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Phrase completions before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Phrase completions ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Phrase completions

In research: Phrase completions appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Phrase completions in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Phrase completions is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Educational psychology, Market research, Psychometrics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Phrase completions outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Phrase completions in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Phrase completions means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Phrase completions out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Phrase completions in simple terms?

Why does Phrase completions matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Phrase completions?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Phrase completions.