Abstract
This article is a response to the March, 2013, special issue of the AMS Review, which was purportedly about “scientific progress in marketing” but in fact was about measurement in marketing. Even narrower than that, the special issue was about “formative measurement” in marketing. The present article contends that the problems raised by the special issue’s authors were solved earlier by Rossiter’s C-OAR-SE measurement theory. Four key references on C-OAR-SE theory (Rossiter in Int J Res Mark 19(4):305–335, 2002; Bergkvist and Rossiter in J Mark Res 44(2):175–184, 2007; Rossiter’s 2011a book; Rossiter in Eur J Market 45(11/12):1589–1600, 2011b) are revisited to explain how continued ignorance of C-OAR-SE principles has stifled progress in measurement in all the social sciences.
Similar content being viewed by others
General References
Ambler, T., & Hollier, E. A. (2005). The waste in advertising is the part that works. Journal of Advertising Research, 44(4), 375–389.
Bagozzi, R.P. (1994). Structural equation models in marketing research: basic principles. In R.P. Bagozzi (Ed.), Principles of marketing research (pp. 317–385). Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.
Blalock, H. M. (1964). Causal inferences in nonexperimental research. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
Bollen, K., & Lennox, R. (1991). Conventional wisdom on measurement: a structural equation perspective. Psychological Bulletin, 110(2), 305–314.
Borsboom, D. (2005). Measuring the mind. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Borsboom, D., Mellenbergh, G. J., & van Heerden, J. (2004). The concept of validity. Psychological Review, 111(4), 1061–1071.
Brewer, M. B., & Chen, Y.-R. (2007). Where (who) are collectives in collectivism? Toward conceptual clarification of individualism and collectivism. Psychological Review, 114(1), 133–151.
Cliff, N., & Keats, J. A. (2003). Ordinal measurement in the behavioral sciences. Mahwah: Erlbaum.
Coleman, R. P. (1983). The continuing significance of social class to marketing. Journal of Consumer Research, 10(3), 265–280.
Crittenden, V. L., & Peterson, R. A. (2013). Scientific progress in marketing. AMS Review, 3(1), 1–2.
Diamantopoulos, A. (2013). MIMIC models and formative measurement: some thoughts on Lee, Cadogan & Chamberlain. AMS Review, 3(1), 30–37.
Fornell, C., & Bookstein, F. L. (1982). Two structural equation models: LISREL and PLS applied to consumer exit-voice theory. Journal of Marketing Research, 19(4), 440–452.
Howell, R. D. (2013). Conceptual clarity in measurement – constructs, composites, and causes: a commentary on Lee, Cadogan and Chamberlain. AMS Review, 3(1), 18–23.
Lee, N., Cadogan, J. W., & Chamberlain, L. (2013). The MIMIC model and formative variables: problems and solutions. AMS Review, 3(1), 3–17.
MacCorquodale, K., & Meehl, P. E. (1948). On a distinction between hypothetical constructs and intervening variables. Psychological Review, 55(2), 95–107.
Michell, J. (1986). Measurement scales and statistics: a clash of paradigms. Psychological Bulletin, 100(3), 398–407.
Michell, J. (2009). Invalidity in validity. In R. W. Lissitz (Ed.), The concept of validity: Revisions, new directions, and applications. Charlotte: Information Age.
Rigdon, E. E. (2013). Lee, Cadogan, and Chamberlain: an excellent point…but what about that iceberg? AMS Review, 3(1), 24–29.
Rossiter, J. R. (2012). A new measure of social classes. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 11(2), 89–93.
Rossiter, J. R., & Foxall, G. R. (2008). Hull-Spence Behavior Theory as a paradigm for consumer behavior. Marketing Theory, 8(2), 123–141.
Rossiter, J. R., & Percy, L. (1997). Advertising communications & promotion management (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Skinner, B. F. (1959). Science and human behavior. New York: Appleton Century Crofts.
Warner, W., Meeker, M., Eells, K. (1949); reprinted 1960 with extra material. Social Class in America. New York: Harper & Row.
Westen, D. (1988). The scientific legacy of Sigmund Freud: toward a psychodynamically informed psychological science. Psychological Bulletin, 124(3), 333–371.
References on C-OAR-SE theory and applications * Key reference
Althuizen, N., Wierenga, B., & Rossiter, J. R. (2010). The validity of two brief measures of creative ability. Creativity Research Journal, 22(1), 53–61.
Bergkvist, L., & Rossiter, J.R. (2007). The predictive validity of multiple-item vs. single-item measures of the same constructs. Journal of Marketing Research, 44(2), 175–184.*
Bergkvist, L., & Rossiter, J. R. (2009). Tailor-made single-item measures of doubly concrete constructs. International Journal of Advertising, 28(4), 607–621.
Cowley, E., & Rossiter, J. R. (2005). Range model of judgments. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 15(3), 250–262.
Dolnicar, S., & Rossiter, J. R. (2008). The low stability of brand-attribute associations is partly due to market research methodology. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 25(2), 104–108.
Dolnicar, S., Rossiter, J. R., & Grün, B. (2012). ‘Pick any’ measures contaminate brand image studies. International Journal of Market Research, 54(6), 821–834.
Rossiter, J.R. (2002). The C-OAR-SE procedure for scale development in marketing. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 19(4), 305–335.*
Rossiter, J. R. (2003a). Qualifying the importance of findings. Journal of Business Research, 56(1), 85–88.
Rossiter, J. R. (2003b). How to construct a test of scientific knowledge in consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 30(2), 305–310.
Rossiter, J. R. (2005). Reminder: a horse is a horse. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 22(1), 23–25.
Rossiter, J. R. (2007a). Toward a valid measure of e-retailing service quality. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 2(3), 36–48.
Rossiter, J. R. (2007b). Identifying and measuring Australian values. Australasian Marketing Journal, 15(1), 7–13.
Rossiter, J. R. (2008a). Content validity of measures of abstract constructs in management and organizational research. British Journal of Management, 19(4), 380–388.
Rossiter, J. R. (2008b). Defining the necessary components of creative, effective ads. Journal of Advertising, 37(4), 139–144.
Rossiter, J. R. (2009a). Qualitative marketing research: theory and practice. Australasian Journal of Market and Social Research, 17(1), 7–27.
Rossiter, J. R. (2009b). ER-SERVCOMPSQUAL: a measure of e-retailing service components quality. Service Science, 1(4), 212–224.
Rossiter, J. R. (2010). Marketing measurement revolution: C-OAR-SE to replace psychometrics. Transfer: Werbeforschung & Praxis, 56(1), 66–72.
Rossiter, J.R. (2011a). Measurement for the social sciences: The C-OAR-SE method and why it must replace psychometrics. New York: Springer.*
Rossiter, J.R. (2011b). Marketing measurement revolution: the C-OAR-SE method and why it must replace psychometrics. European Journal of Marketing, 45(11/12), 1589–1600.*
Rossiter, J. R. (2012b). Further comment on “market orientation”. Australasian Marketing Journal, 20(1), 108–112.
Rossiter, J. R. (2012c). A new C-OAR-SE-based content-valid and predictively valid measure that distinguishes brand love from brand liking. Marketing Letters, 23(2), 905–916.
Rossiter, J. R., & Bergkvist, L. (2009). The importance of choosing one good item for single-item measures of attitude towards the ad and attitude towards the brand and its generalization to all measures. Transfer Werbeforschung & Praxis, 55(2), 8–18.
Rossiter, J. R., & Braithwaite, B. (2013). C-OAR-SE-based single-item measures for the two-stage Technology Acceptance Model. Australasian Marketing Journal, 21(1), 30–35.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rossiter, J.R. Scientific progress in measurement theory?. AMS Rev 3, 171–179 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13162-013-0048-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13162-013-0048-7