CHAPTER 3 Flashcards
Psychological Constructs
An abstract concept (such as love, trust, or commitment) that relationship scientists strive to define, measure, and study
Operationalization
A key stage in the research process in which an abstract concept (a psychological construct) is translated into concrete terms so that predictions about that concept can be tested
Self-Report
A research participant’s own descriptions and evaluations of his or her experiences
Fixed-Response Scale
A survey tool that presents a predetermined set of questions, each with a predetermined set of answers from which to choose
Open-Ended Question
A question that does not have a specific set of response options, thereby allowing respondents to answer in their own words
Qualitative Research
An approach to data collection that relies primarily on open-ended questions and other loosely structured information rather than on fixed-response scales and questionnaires
Construct Validity
The extent to which an operationalization adequately represents a particular psychological construct
Social Desirability Effect
A tendency for research participants to provide answers that they think will make them look good to the researchers
Observational Measure
An approach to data collection permitting direct access to relationship events, typically via video or audio recordings
Item-Overlap Problem
The exploration of the same idea by two different self-report tools, leading to inflated estimates of the correlations between the concepts they measure
Global Measure
A measurement tool for assessing relationship satisfaction that asks partners only about their evaluations of their relationships as a whole
Sentiment Override
The tendency for partners’ feelings about their relationship to overwhelm their perceptions of specific behaviours and aspects of their relationship
Interrater Reliability
The extent to which different observers agree that a specified behaviour has or has not occurred
Reactivity
A change in behaviour in response to knowing the behaviour is being observed
Indirect Measure
An approach to data collection in which respondents either do not know or cannot control the information they are providing