Measurement Equivalence in Replications of Experiments: When and Why it Matters and Guidance on How to Determine Equivalence

Public Management Review, 19(9): 1293-1310, 2017

17 Pages Posted: 23 Jun 2016 Last revised: 23 Mar 2018

See all articles by Sebastian Jilke

Sebastian Jilke

McCourt School of Public Policy; Georgetown University

Nicolai Petrovsky

University of Kentucky - James W. Martin School of Public Policy and Administration

Bart Meuleman

KU Leuven

Oliver James

University of Exeter - Department of Politics

Date Written: June 1, 2016

Abstract

Replications of experiments are typically conducted to verify initial findings, increase their external validity, or to study the boundary conditions of treatment effects. A crucial and implicitly made assumption is that outcome measures in experiments are sufficiently comparable (i.e., equivalent) across experimental settings. We argue that there are good reasons to believe that this equivalence assumption may not always be met and should therefore be tested empirically. Integrating the literatures on experimental replication and survey measurement equivalence, we provide guidance when and how experimental replicators need to determine cross-replication equivalence.

Keywords: Replication, experiment, measurement equivalence, measurement invariance, cross-replication equivalence, blame, blame shifting, responsibility attribution, political accountability; measurement

JEL Classification: D12, D18, D4, D63, D8

Suggested Citation

Jilke, Sebastian and Petrovsky, Nicolai and Meuleman, Bart and James, Oliver, Measurement Equivalence in Replications of Experiments: When and Why it Matters and Guidance on How to Determine Equivalence (June 1, 2016). Public Management Review, 19(9): 1293-1310, 2017, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2798610

Sebastian Jilke (Contact Author)

McCourt School of Public Policy; Georgetown University ( email )

Washington, DC 20057
United States

Nicolai Petrovsky

University of Kentucky - James W. Martin School of Public Policy and Administration ( email )

Lexington, KY 40506
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.petrovsky.ws/

Bart Meuleman

KU Leuven ( email )

Oude Markt 13
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant 3000
Belgium

Oliver James

University of Exeter - Department of Politics ( email )

Northcote House
The Queen's Drive
Exeter, Devon EX4 4QJ
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.huss.ex.ac.uk/politics/staff/james/index.php

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