The prevailing practice of defining classes of material deprivation based on the raw sum of a relatively small number of binary items has obvious advantages in terms of communication and ease of use. Do two people with the same raw score always have the same level of deprivation? This paper examines the methodological foundations of the raw score, comparing classical test theory with model‐based test theory such as Rasch measurement and item response theories. After discussing the merits and limitations of the different approaches, the paper legitimizes the raw score when the assumptions of the Rasch model are met. Based on the analytical procedure of the Rasch model and using the pre‐Covid data from the Survey on Income and Living Conditions, the paper also suggests how to develop a European scale for measuring material deprivation that ensures comparability across European countries.

Alessio Farcomeni

Maria Grazia Pittau

Sara Viviani

Roberto Zelli

Review of Income and Wealth

The major objective of the Review of Income and Wealth is to advance knowledge on the definition, measurement and interpretation of national income, wealth and distribution. Among the issues covered are:    - national and social accounting   - microdata analyses of issues related to income and wealth and its distribution   - the integration of micro and macro systems of economic, financial, and social statistics   - international and intertemporal comparisons of income, wealth, inequality, poverty, well-being, and productivity   - related problems of measurement and methodology

The primary objective of the Review of Income and Wealth is to advance knowledge regarding the definition, measurement, and interpretation of national income, wealth, and distribution. The journal covers topics such as: - National and social accounting - Microdata analyses related to income, wealth, and its distribution - Integration of micro and macro systems of economic, financial, and social statistics - International and intertemporal comparisons of income, wealth, inequality, poverty, well-being, and productivity - Related measurement and methodology issues.

《Review of Income and Wealth》的主要目标是推动对国家收入、财富及其分配的定义、测量和解释的知识进步。该期刊涵盖的主题包括：- 国家和社会会计 - 与收入、财富及其分配相关的微观数据分析 - 经济、金融和社会统计的微观与宏观系统的整合 - 收入、财富、不平等、贫困、幸福感和生产力的国际和跨时间比较 - 相关的测量和方法论问题

Category	Quartile
经济学	3
经济学, 经济学	3

A measurement scale for material deprivation: A model‐based approach

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