CH4 Hypothesis, Operationalization and Measurement

Question 1

the process of precisely defining ideas and turning them into variables

Answer 1

conceptualization

Question 2

the process of linking the conceptualized variables to a set procedures for the sake of measuring them

Answer 2

operationalization

Question 3

an idea that can be named, defined, and eventually measured in some way

Answer 3

concept

Question 4

representations that capture different dimensions, categories, or levels of a concept

Answer 4

variables

Question 5

aspects of social life that can be counted

Answer 5

social artifacts

Question 6

components that represent different manifestations, angles, or units of the concept

Answer 6

dimensions

Question 7

variables that have a finite set of possible values, with no known distance between them (nominal and ordinal)

Answer 7

categorical variables

Question 8

variables that have an infinite set of possible values, with fixed distances between them (interval and ratio)

Answer 8

continuous variables

Question 9

variables that are parallel and cannot be ranked or ordered

Answer 9

nominal

Question 10

variables that can be ordered in some way, but distance between values is not known

Answer 10

ordinal

Question 11

continuum of values with meaningful distances between them, but no true zero; variables can be compared directly but cannot be used in proportions or mathematical operations

Answer 11

interval

Question 12

variables that do not have a true zero, and distance between values can be measured, and values can be expressed as proportions

Answer 12

ratio

Question 13

values assigned to a variable to provide blueprints for measurement

Answer 13

indicators

Question 14

the process of identifying a plan for measurement

Answer 14

operationalization

Question 15

research that views operationalization as the end result of the conceptualization process

Answer 15

quantitative

Question 16

research that starts with an open conceptualization process and uses observation to refine the process

Answer 16

qualitative

Question 17

a mistake researchers make by drawing conclusions about the micro level based on macro level analysis

Answer 17

ecological fallacy

Question 18

a mistake researchers make by drawing conclusions about macro-level based in micro-level analysis

Answer 18

reductionism