Best-Worst Scaling : Theory, Methods and Applications

This is the first systematic treatment of the theory and application of best-worst scaling (BWS), an emerging methodology in choice experiments. The three types of best-worst scaling are introduced and explored, and example applications and case studies illustrate how to implement, apply, and analyze the theory across many different disciplines.

Best-worst scaling (BWS) is an extension of the method of paired comparison to multiple choices that asks participants to choose both the most and the least attractive options or features from a set of choices. It is an increasingly popular way for academics and practitioners in social science, business, and other disciplines to study and model choice. This book provides an authoritative and systematic treatment of best-worst scaling, introducing readers to the theory and methods for three broad classes of applications. It uses a variety of case studies to illustrate simple but reliable ways to design, implement, apply, and analyze choice data in specific contexts, and showcases the wide range of potential applications across many different disciplines. Best-worst scaling avoids many rating scale problems and will appeal to those wanting to measure subjective quantities with known measurement properties that can be easily interpreted and applied.