Chapter 5

Question 1

Bogardus Social Distance Scale

Answer 1

A scale that measures the distance between two or more social groups by having members of one group express the point at which they feel comfortable with various types of social interaction or closeness with members of the other group(s)

Question 2

Conceptual definition

Answer 2

A careful, systematic definition of a construct that is explicitly written to clarify one’s thinking. It is often linked to other concepts or theoretical statements

Question 3

Conceptual hypothesis

Answer 3

A type of hypothesis in which the researcher expresses variables in abstract, conceptual terms and expresses the relationship among variables in a theoretical way.

Question 4

Conceptualization

Answer 4

The process of developing clear, rigorous, systematic conceptual definitions for abstract ideas/concepts

Question 5

Concurrent validity

Answer 5

Measurement validity that relies on a preexisting and already accepted measure to verify the indicator of a construct

Question 6

Content validity

Answer 6

Measurement validity that requires that a measure represents all the aspects of the conceptual definiton of a construct

Question 7

Continuous variables

Answer 7

Variables measured on a continuum in which an infinite number of fine gradations between variable attributes are possible

Question 8

Criterion validity

Answer 8

Measurement validity that relies on some independent, outside verification

Question 9

Discrete variables

Answer 9

Variables in which the attributes can be measured only with a limited number of distinct, separate categories

Question 10

Empirical hypothesis

Answer 10

A type of hypothesis in which the research expresses variables in specific terms and expresses the association among the measured indicators of observable, empirical evidence.

Question 11

Exhaustive attributes

Answer 11

The principle that response categories in a scale or other measure should provide a category for all possible responses (i.e., every possible response fits into some category)

Question 12

External validity

Answer 12

The ability to generalize from experimental research to settings or people that differ from the specific conditions of the study

Question 13

Face validity

Answer 13

A type of measurement validity in which an indicator “makes sense” as a measure of a construct in the judgment of others, especially those in the scientific community

Question 14

Guttman scaling

Answer 14

A scale that researchers use after data are collected to reveal whether a hierarchical patters exists among responses, such that people who give respones at a “higher level” also tend to give “lower-level” ones

Question 15

Index

Answer 15

The summing or combining of many separate measures of a construct or variable

Question 16

Internal validity

Answer 16

The ability of experimenters to strengthen a causal explanation’s logical rigor by eliminating potential alternative explanations for an association between the treatment and the dependent variable through an experimental design

Question 17

Internal-level measurement

Answer 17

A level of measurement that identifies differences among variable attributes, ranks, and categories, and that measures distance between categories, but there is no true zero

Question 18

Likert scale

Answer 18

A scale often used in survey research in which people express attitudes or other responses in term of several ordinal-level categories (e.g., agree, disagree) that are ranked along a continuum

Question 19

Measurement validity

Answer 19

How well an empirical indicator and the conceptual definition of the construct that the indicator is supposed to measure “fit” together

Question 20

Multiple indicators

Answer 20

Mnay procedures or instruments that indicate, or provide evidence of the presence or level of a variable using empirical evidence. Researchers use the combination of several together to measure a variable.

Question 21

Mutually exclusive attributes

Answer 21

The principle that response categories in a scale or other measure should be organized so that a person’s responses fit into only one category (i.e., categories should not overlap)

Question 22

Nominal-level measurement

Answer 22

The lowest, least precise level of measurement for which there is only a difference un type among the categories of a variable

Question 23

Operational definition

Answer 23

The definition of a variable in terms of the specific activities to measure or indicate it with empirical evidence

Question 24

Operationalization

Answer 24

The process of moving from the conceptual definition of a construct to a set of specific activities or measures that allow a researcher to observe it empirically (i.e., its operational definition)

Question 25

Ordinal-level measurement

Answer 25

A level of measurement that identifies a difference among categories of a variable and allows the categories to be rank-ordered

Question 26

Predictive validity

Answer 26

Measurement validity that relies on the occurrence of a future event or behaviour that is logically consistent to verify the indicator of a construct

Question 27

Ratio-level measurement

Answer 27

The highest, most precise level of measurement for which variable attributes can be rank-ordered, the distance between the attributes precisely measured, and an absolute zero exists

Question 28

Reliability

Answer 28

The dependability or consistency of the measure of a variable

Question 29

Scale

Answer 29

A type of quantitative data measure often used in survey research that captures the intensity, direction, level, or potency of a variable construct along a continuum. Most are at the ordinal level of measurement

Question 30

Semantic differential

Answer 30

A scale in which people are presented with a topic or object and a list of many polar opposite adjectives or adverbs. They are to indicate their feelings by marking one of several spaces between two adjectives or adverbs

Question 31

Standardization

Answer 31

The procedure to statistically adjust measures to permit making an honest comparison by giving a common basis to measure of different units

Question 32

Unidimensionality

Answer 32

The principle that when using multiple indicators to measure a construct, all the indicators should consistently fit together and indicate a single construct

Question 33

Validity

Answer 33

A term meaning truth can be applied to the logical tightness of experimental design, the ability to generalize findings outside a study, the quality of measurement, and the proper use of procedures.