Reverse-scored item

An item worded so that endorsement indicates the opposite of the construct being measured; its score is flipped during calculation.

A reverse-scored item is one worded so that endorsing it indicates the opposite of the construct being measured. On a scale measuring depression, an item like "I have plenty of energy" would be reverse-scored: agreement counts as low depression rather than high.

Reverse-scored items serve two purposes. They reduce acquiescence bias (the tendency to agree regardless of content), and they reveal inattentive or random responding — when responses to reverse-scored items don't match patterns from regular items, that's a red flag. Most thoughtful assessments deliberately mix item polarity for these reasons.

Acquiescence bias — The tendency of respondents to agree with statements regardless of content, inflating scores on positively worded items.
Response style — Systematic ways respondents answer items that aren't driven by item content — patterns like agreeing-with-everything or always picking the middle.
Self-report — An assessment format in which respondents rate their own thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.
Likert scale — An ordered response format (often 5- or 7-point) for rating agreement, frequency, or intensity.

Reverse-scored item

Related terms