Chapter 4

Question 1

Conceptualization

Answer 1

Naming/Defining an abstract idea

Question 2

Concepts

Answer 2

Direct observables
Indirect observables
Constructs

Question 3

Constructs

Answer 3

States or conditions that are not discernible even by
direct observation

Question 4

Indicators

Answer 4

A sign of the presence or absence of a
concept of interest.
[Social status, for example, has many indicators.
Education, income, occupation, etc]

Question 5

Real Definition

Answer 5

a statement of the “essential nature” or the “essential attributes” of some entity

Question 6

Nominal Definition

Answer 6

Represents a consensus on how a particular term is to be used

Question 7

Operational Definition

Answer 7

Specify how a concept will be measured in the study

Question 8

Measurement

Answer 8

A process of assigning numbers to
units as a way of representing their individual and
specific attributes

Question 9

Variable

Answer 9

A characteristic that can vary in value among
subjects in a sample or a population

Question 10

Categorical/Qualitative Variable

Answer 10

scale for measurement is a set of categories,
also called qualitative variables
[Ex: Race, Major, Diet, Political part, etc.]

Question 11

Numerical/Quantitative Variable

Answer 11

A scale for measurement is
possible values that differ in magnitude, also called
quantitative variables

Question 12

Nominal Scale

Answer 12

Unordered Categories
[Ex: Race, Gender, Preference of Presidency]

Question 13

Ordinal Scale

Answer 13

Ordered Categories
[Ex: Political Ideology (right to left scale)
Mental Impairment (none to severe)]

Question 14

Nominal Measurement

Answer 14

Measuring a variable by assigning a number
arbitrarily in order to name it numerically so that it might be
distinguished from other objects. The jersey numbers in most
sports are measured at a nominal level

Question 15

Ordinal Measurement

Answer 15

Measuring a variable using rankings. Class rank is
a variable measured at an ordinal level

Question 16

Interval Measurement

Answer 16

Measuring a variable on a scale where the
distance between numbers is interpretable. For instance,
temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius is measured on an
interval level

Question 17

Ratio Measurement

Answer 17

Measuring a variable on a scale where the distance
between numbers is interpretable and there is an absolute
zero value. For example, weight is a ratio measurement

Question 18

Hierarchy of Levels of Measurement

Answer 18

1. Ratio (absolute 0 exists)
2. Interval (distance is meaningful)
3. Ordinal ( Attributes can be ordered)
4. Nominal ( attributes are only named, weakest)

Question 19

Discrete variable

Answer 19

possible values a set of separate
numbers, such as 0, 1, 2, …
e.g., number of e-mail messages sent in previous day

Question 20

Continuous variable

Answer 20

infinite continuum of
possible values
e.g. Amount of time spent on Internet in previous day

Question 21

Variation

Answer 21

Relationships are clearest when there is variation in the
indicators of the outcome or dependent variable, and the
right-hand side or independent variable

Question 22

Single indicators

Answer 22

a single indicator is sufficient.
– Occupational prestige as a measure of
socioeconomic status

Question 23

Multiple Indicators

Answer 23

multiple indicators may be
required.
– Responses on questions about attitudes as a
measure of some underlying dimensio

Question 24

Reliability

Answer 24

refers to the stability or consistency of a
measurement of operation

Question 25

True Score Theory

Answer 25

Maintains that every observable score is the sum of two components: true ability (or the true level) of the respondent on that measure; and random error. The true score is essentially the score that a person would have received if the score had no error

Question 26

Systematic Error (Bias)

Answer 26

A systematic error that affects all measurements of a construct.

Question 27

Random Error

Answer 27

A component of a measure that varies entirely by chance. Random error adds noise to a measure and obscures the true value. [The sum of random errors = zero]

Question 28

Inter-Rater Reliability

Answer 28

assesses the degree to which different raters/observers give consistent estimates of the same phenomenon

Question 29

Test-Retest Reliability

Answer 29

Administer the same test to the same/similar sample on two different occasions

Question 30

Internal Consistency

Answer 30

a measure based on the correlations between different items on the same test

Question 31

Split-half Reliability

Answer 31

you randomly divide into two sets all items that measure the same construct. You administer the entire instrument to a sample and calculate the total score for each randomly divided half of the measure. The split-half reliability estimate is simply the correlation between these two total scores.

Question 32

Cronbachs Alpha

Answer 32

One specific method of estimating the reliability of a measure. Although not calculated in this manner, Cronbach’s Alpha can be thought of as analogous to the average of all possible split-half correlations

Question 33

Validity

Answer 33

refers to whether we're really measuring the concept that we intended to measure

Question 34

Construct Validity

Answer 34

based on the logical relationships among variables

Question 35

Translation Validity

Answer 35

A type of construct validity related to how well you translated the idea of your measure into its operationalization. Assess the degree to which different raters/ observers give consistent estimates of the same phenomenon

Question 36

Face Validity

Answer 36

A validity that checks that “on its face” the operationalization seems like a good translation of the construct

Question 37

Content Validity

Answer 37

how much a measure covers the range of meanings included within a concept

Question 38

Criterion-Related Validity

Answer 38

Measures how well a test predicts w external criterion

Question 39

Predictive Validity

Answer 39

A type of construct validity based on the idea that your measure is able to predict what it theoretically should be able to predict. [e.g., how well SAT scores predicts college or GRE scores graduate school performance]

Question 40

Concurrent Validity

Answer 40

the extent to which the results of a measure correlate with the results of an established measure of the same underlying construct assess within a similar time frame. [e.g.,how well a shortened version of the test correlates with a longer version of the test]

Question 41

Convergent Validity

Answer 41

the degree to which the operationalization is similar to other operationalizations to which it theoretically the measures of constructs should correlate with each other]

Question 42

Divergent Validity

Answer 42

The degree to which concepts that should not be related theoretically are, in fact, indicated by low correlations between constructs

Question 43

Mono-operation bias

Answer 43

When one operationalize under-represents the construct

Question 44

Mono-method bias

Answer 44

When operationalizations use the same method, the method becomes part of the operationalization