IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/arx/papers/2501.14810.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Meaningful, Useful and Legitimate Information in the Use of Index Numbers for Decision Making

Author

Listed:
  • Fred Roberts
  • Helen Roberts
  • Alexis Tsouki`as

Abstract

Often information relevant to a decision is summarized in an index number. This paper explores conditions under which conclusions using index numbers are relevant to the decision that needs to be made. Specifically it explores the idea that a statement using scales of measurement is meaningful in the sense that its truth or falsity does not depend on an arbitrary choice of parameters; the concept that a conclusion using index numbers is useful for the specific decision that needs to be made; and the notion that such a conclusion is legitimate in the sense that it is collected and used in a way that satisfies cultural, historical, organizational and legal constraints. While meaningfulness is a precisely defined concept, usefulness and legitimacy are not, and the paper explores properties of these concepts that lay the groundwork for making them more precise. Many examples involving two well-known and widely-used index numbers, body mass indices and air pollution indices, are used to explore the properties of and interrelationships among meaningfulness, usefulness, and legitimacy.

Suggested Citation

  • Fred Roberts & Helen Roberts & Alexis Tsouki`as, 2025. "Meaningful, Useful and Legitimate Information in the Use of Index Numbers for Decision Making," Papers 2501.14810, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2501.14810
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://arxiv.org/pdf/2501.14810
    File Function: Latest version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vitolla, Filippo & Raimo, Nicola & Rubino, Michele & Garegnani, Giovanni Maria, 2021. "Do cultural differences impact ethical issues? Exploring the relationship between national culture and quality of code of ethics," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 27(1).
    2. Xiaoli Huang & Dagobert Soergel, 2013. "Relevance: An improved framework for explicating the notion," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 64(1), pages 18-35, January.
    3. Jan Gromadzki, 2019. "Measurement of attitudes towards homosexuality: testing measurement invariance across European countries," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(6), pages 2685-2694, November.
    4. Stefan Behringer & Roman V. Belavkin, 2023. "The Value of Information and Circular Settings," Papers 2303.16126, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2023.
    5. Meinard, Y. & Tsoukiàs, A., 2019. "On the rationality of decision aiding processes," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 273(3), pages 1074-1084.
    6. Bert Scholtens & Lammertjan Dam, 2007. "Cultural Values and International Differences in Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 75(3), pages 273-284, October.
    7. Jana Uher, 2022. "Functions of units, scales and quantitative data: Fundamental differences in numerical traceability between sciences," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 2519-2548, August.
    8. William Meredith, 1993. "Measurement invariance, factor analysis and factorial invariance," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 58(4), pages 525-543, December.
    9. Hector Ernesto Najera, 2017. "Does measurement invariance hold for the official Mexican multidimensional poverty measure? A state-level analysis 2012," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 1217-1241, May.
    10. Fred S. Roberts, 2014. "Meaningful and Meaningless Statements in Landscape Ecology and Environmental Sustainability," Springer Optimization and Its Applications, in: Fuad Aleskerov & Boris Goldengorin & Panos M. Pardalos (ed.), Clusters, Orders, and Trees: Methods and Applications, edition 127, pages 297-312, Springer.
    11. Michael C. Runge & Clark S. Rushing & James E. Lyons & Madeleine A. Rubenstein, 2023. "A Simplified Method for Value of Information Using Constructed Scales," Decision Analysis, INFORMS, vol. 20(3), pages 220-230, September.
    12. Landry, Maurice & Malouin, Jean-Louis & Oral, Muhittin, 1983. "Model validation in operations research," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 207-220, November.
    13. Xiaoli Huang & Dagobert Soergel, 2013. "Relevance: An improved framework for explicating the notion," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 64(1), pages 18-35, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Johan Oud & Manuel Voelkle, 2014. "Do missing values exist? Incomplete data handling in cross-national longitudinal studies by means of continuous time modeling," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 48(6), pages 3271-3288, November.
    2. Liat Ayalon, 2018. "Perceived Age Discrimination: A Precipitator or a Consequence of Depressive Symptoms?," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 73(5), pages 860-869.
    3. Takuma Kimura & Mizuki Nishikawa, 2018. "Ethical Leadership and Its Cultural and Institutional Context: An Empirical Study in Japan," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(3), pages 707-724, September.
    4. Steven Andrew Culpepper & Herman Aguinis & Justin L. Kern & Roger Millsap, 2019. "High-Stakes Testing Case Study: A Latent Variable Approach for Assessing Measurement and Prediction Invariance," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 84(1), pages 285-309, March.
    5. Ihsana Sabriani Borualogo & Ferran Casas, 2023. "Bullying Victimisation and Children’s Subjective Well-being: A Comparative Study in Seven Asian Countries," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(1), pages 1-27, February.
    6. Shelley H. Liu & Yitong Chen & Jordan R. Kuiper & Emily Ho & Jessie P. Buckley & Leah Feuerstahler, 2024. "Applying Latent Variable Models to Estimate Cumulative Exposure Burden to Chemical Mixtures and Identify Latent Exposure Subgroups: A Critical Review and Future Directions," Statistics in Biosciences, Springer;International Chinese Statistical Association, vol. 16(2), pages 482-502, July.
    7. Wilson, Christopher J. & Bowden, Stephen C. & Byrne, Linda K. & Joshua, Nicole R. & Marx, Wolfgang & Weiss, Lawrence G., 2023. "The cross-cultural generalizability of cognitive ability measures: A systematic literature review," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    8. Janina Isabel Steinert & Lucie Dale Cluver & G. J. Melendez-Torres & Sebastian Vollmer, 2018. "One Size Fits All? The Validity of a Composite Poverty Index Across Urban and Rural Households in South Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 136(1), pages 51-72, February.
    9. Stephanie Kelley, 2022. "Employee Perceptions of the Effective Adoption of AI Principles," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(4), pages 871-893, July.
    10. Paul MUKUCHA & Divaries Cosmas JARAVAZA & Forbes MAKUDZA, 2022. "Towards Gender-Based Market Segmentation: The Differential Influence of Gender on Dining Experiences in the University Cafeteria Industry," Management and Economics Review, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 7(2), pages 182-200, June.
    11. Tsoukias, Alexis, 2008. "From decision theory to decision aiding methodology," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 187(1), pages 138-161, May.
    12. Ankica Kosic & Tamara Džamonja Ignjatović & Nebojša Petrović, 2021. "A Cross-Cultural Study of Distress during COVID-19 Pandemic: Some Protective and Risk Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-15, July.
    13. Natalja Menold & Vera Toepoel, 2024. "Do Different Devices Perform Equally Well with Different Numbers of Scale Points and Response Formats? A test of measurement invariance and reliability," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 53(2), pages 898-939, May.
    14. Amber Mosewich & Valerie Hadd & Peter Crocker & Bruno Zumbo, 2013. "Invariance Testing of the SF-36 Health Survey in Women Breast Cancer Survivors: Do Personal and Cancer-related Variables Influence the Meaning of Quality of Life Items?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 110(2), pages 559-577, January.
    15. Gangi, Francesco & Mustilli, Mario & Varrone, Nicola & Graziano, Domenico, 2023. "Target firms’ characteristics and the effects of sovereign wealth funds’ investments: Does cultural context of SWFs matter?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    16. Allyson S. Graf & Meagan A. Ramsey & Julie Hicks Patrick & Amy L. Gentzler, 2016. "Dark Storm Clouds and Rays of Sunshine: Profiles of Negative and Positive Rumination About Daily Hassles and Uplifts," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 2257-2276, December.
    17. Erich Studerus & Alex Gamma & Franz X Vollenweider, 2010. "Psychometric Evaluation of the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(8), pages 1-19, August.
    18. Hofmans, J. & Pepermans, R. & Loix, E., 2009. "Measurement invariance matters: A case made for the ORTOFIN," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 667-674, August.
    19. Dybro Liengaard, Benjamin, 2024. "Measurement invariance testing in partial least squares structural equation modeling," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    20. Bert Scholtens & Riikka Sievänen, 2013. "Drivers of Socially Responsible Investing: A Case Study of Four Nordic Countries," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 115(3), pages 605-616, July.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2501.14810. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: arXiv administrators (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://arxiv.org/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.