Reverse-coded items are commonly used in psychological measurement to reduce response
biases and improve data quality. However, their use introduces a polarity effect—systematic
differences between regular and reversed items—resulting in reduced internal consistency,
increased dimensionality, and potential biases in structural relationships across constructs.
Consequently, some researchers caution against their inclusion. Conversely, omitting reversed
items may mask rather than eliminate underlying biases, threatening measurement validity.
Although the polarity effect is widely acknowledged, its precise causes remain unclear.
Moreover, existing research often overlooks the fact that different types of reversed items (e.g.,
negations, antonyms) differ in their psychometric impact. This project aims to address these
gaps by integrating psychometric theory with insights from linguistics and cognitive psychology,
clarifying the mechanisms underlying the polarity effect, and developing methods to effectively
control its impact.

Cíle udržitelného rozvoje

Masarykova univerzita se hlásí k cílům udržitelného rozvoje OSN, jejichž záměrem je do roku 2030 zlepšit podmínky a kvalitu života na naší planetě.