Continuous or Dichotomous Scales? Holistic and Analytic Thinking Styles Influence Response Fluency to Different Scale Formats and Trait-Consistent Behavior.

Authors

David Santos, Dilney Gonçalves, Hongyi Lin, Blanca Requero

Published in

Personality & social psychology bulletin. Pages 1461672261474563. Aug 14, 2026. Epub Aug 14, 2026.

Abstract

Personality scales use response formats ranging from dichotomous to continuous. Understanding how individuals respond to these formats is crucial for interpreting the consequences of those responses. This research examines the moderating role of holistic-analytic thinking style on the impact of response formats on fluency and subsequent behavioral outcomes. Across multiple personality scales and methodological approaches (N = 3,636), holistic (vs. analytic) thinkers experienced greater fluency with continuous (vs. dichotomous) scales. This effect was observed with measured and manipulated thinking styles (Studies 1 and 2) and replicated using cultural groups as a proxy (Study 3). We also explored psychological discomfort as a mechanism. A 3-point (Study 4) and a 6-point scale (Study 5) also elicited fluency among holistic individuals. Finally, matching thinking styles with scale formats affected behavioral intentions (Study 5) and behavior (Study 6). Our research indicates that choosing response formats should consider factors beyond psychometric properties, including cultural and individual differences.

PMID:
42596717
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 14 Aug 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.