Interval Estimation of Interitem and Item-Total Correlations for Multiple Component Measuring Instruments With Ordinal Items

A readily implemented procedure is discussed for interval estimation of indexes of interrelationship between items from multiple-component measuring instruments as well as between items and total composite scores. The method is applicable with categorical (ordinal) observed variables, and can be widely used in the process of scale construction, revision, and development in social, behavioral, educational, and biomedical research. The approach can also be used for testing conventional or nontraditional hypotheses about these indexes. The procedure is illustrated with a numerical example.