The Guttman Effect

The Guttman Effect describes a pattern where people's attitudes, skills, or behaviors tend to align along a single, ordered scale. For example, if someone agrees with a series of statements that gradually increase in difficulty or intensity, their level of agreement or capability usually matches that order. In personality testing or surveys, this means responses often form a consistent pattern—those who agree with more challenging statements are likely to agree with easier ones too. It reflects a cumulative, hierarchical structure where people’s positions on various related items follow a predictable, layered sequence.