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A critical review of scoring options for clinical measurement tools

Avila ML, Stinson J, Kiss A, Brandão LR, Uleryk E, Feldman BM. "A critical review of scoring options for clinical measurement tools." BMC Research Notes 8, 612, 2015.

Key findings used in wiki

  • In a formative model, selected indicators jointly define the construct rather than acting as interchangeable effects of one latent trait.
  • Formative indicators may have positive, negative, or zero correlations, so internal consistency is not an appropriate primary test.
  • Removing a formative indicator can change the construct's meaning because each indicator may contribute unique information.
  • A formative interpretation does not exempt a composite from validation; it changes the evidence required toward content coverage, external relationships, scoring justification, and consequences of use.