#2 Step 3: Operationalise Variables

Question 1

What is a variable?

Answer 1

Factor/characteristic that changes over time, or has different values for different individuals (e.g. height)

Question 2

What is a construct?

Answer 2

Constructed/hypothetical variable that cannot be seen BUT can be manifested through observable behaviour (e.g. love)

Question 3

What is a conceptual definition?

Answer 3

Researcher’s definition of the variable in question, at an abstract level

Question 4

What is operationalization?

Answer 4

A procedure for indirectly measuring a construct through its existence that is indicated by other phenomena (e.g. through gifts, time spent)

The way you operationalize the construct will influence the success of your research or the accuracy of your inferences in your daily life!

Question 5

What is validity in measurement?

Answer 5

The degree to which the measurement process measures the variable that it claims to measure

Question 6

What is face validity?

Answer 6

The extent to which the measured variable appears to be an adequate measurement of the construct (i.e. as long as it looks legit)

Question 7

What is content validity?

Answer 7

The extent to which the measured variable appears to have adequately covered the full domain of the conceptual variable

Question 8

What are criterion validity and the 2 types of criterion validity?

Answer 8

Criterion validity is the extent to which a measure can predict behaviour, according to a theory.

Our measure should correlate with other observed behaviours that have been well-established to be related to the construct.
(e.g. SATs with GPA)

1. Concurrent Validity: the extent to which a measure can predict current behaviour according to a theory
   (e. g. career aptitude and job performance at the same time)
2. Predictive Variability: the extent to which a measure can predict future behaviour based on a theory
   (e. g. job interview first then career aptitude, follow-up a few years later)

Question 9

What are construct validity and the two types of construct validity?

Answer 9

Construct validity is the extent to which the measure actually measured the construct that it is designed to measure.
- Tested when the tester has no definite criterion measure

1. Convergent Validity: the extent to which a measure is found to be related to other measures, designed to measure the same/related construct
   (e. g. BFLM and 5 love languages correlation)
2. Divergent Validity: the extent to which the measure is found to be unrelated to other measures designed to measure other constructs

Question 10

Scales of Measurement

Answer 10

1. Nominal - represents qualitative differences, no rank differences
2. Ordinal - ranking with no equal differences or magnitude of differences
3. Interval - ranking where numbers represent equal intervals (e.g. thermometer)
4. Ratio - same as interval but never falls below 0.

Question 11

Modalities of Measurement

Answer 11

1. Self-Report Measures
2. Physiological Measures
3. Behavioural Measures