Chapter 5

Question 1

Self-Report Measure

Answer 1

A method of measuring a variable in which people answer questions about themselves in a questionnaire or interview

Question 2

Observational Measure

Answer 2

A method of measuring a variable by recording observable behaviors or physical traces of behaviors

Question 3

Physiological Measure

Answer 3

A method of measuring a variable by recording biological data

Question 4

Categorical/Nominal Variables

Answer 4

A variable whose levels are categories
A researcher might decide to assign numbers to the levels of a categorical variable during the data-entry process.

Question 5

Quantitative/Continuous Variable

Answer 5

A variable whose values can be recorded as meaningful numbers

Question 6

Ordinal Scale

Answer 6

A quantitative measurement scale whose levels represent a ranked order, and in which distances between levels are not equal (e.g., order of finishers in a race).

Question 7

Interval Scale

Answer 7

A quantitative measurement scale that has no “true zero,” and in which the numerals represent equal intervals (distances) between levels (e.g., temperature in degrees)

Question 8

Ratio Scale

Answer 8

A quantitative measurement scale in which the numerals have equal intervals and the value of zero truly means “none” of the variable being measured

Question 9

Reliability

Answer 9

The consistency of the results of a measure

Question 10

Validity

Answer 10

The appropriateness of a conclusion or decision

Question 11

Test-Retest Reliability

Answer 11

The consistency in results every time a measure is used

Question 12

Interrater Reliability

Answer 12

The degree to which two or more coders or observers give consistent ratings of a set of targets

Question 13

Internal Reliability/Internal Consistency

Answer 13

In a measure that contains several items, the consistency in a pattern of answers, no matter how a question is phrased

Question 14

Correlation Coefficient

Answer 14

A single number, from -1.0 to 1.0, that indicates the strength and direction of an association between two variables

Question 15

Slope Direction

Answer 15

The upward, downward, or neutral slope of the cluster of data points in a scatterplot

Question 16

Strength

Answer 16

A description of an association indicating how closely the data points in a scatterplot cluster along a line of best fit drawn through them

Question 17

Average Inter-Item Correlation (AIC)

Answer 17

A measure of internal reliability for a set of items; it is the mean of all possible correlations computed between each item and the others.

Question 18

Cronbach’s Alpha

Answer 18

A correlation-based statistic that measures a scale’s internal reliability. Also called coefficient alpha.

Question 19

Face Validity

Answer 19

The extent to which a measure is subjectively considered a plausible operationalization of the conceptual variable in question

Question 20

Content Validity

Answer 20

The extent to which a measure captures all parts of a defined construct

Question 21

Criterion Validity

Answer 21

An empirical form of measurement validity that establishes the extent to which a measure is associated with a behavioral outcome with which it should be associated

Question 22

Known-Groups Paradigm

Answer 22

A method for establishing criterion validity, in which a researcher tests two or more groups who are known to differ on the variable of interest, to ensure that they score differently on a measure of that variable

Question 23

Convergent Validity

Answer 23

An empirical test of the extent to which a self-report measure correlates with other measures of a theoretically similar construct

Question 24

Discriminant Validity

Answer 24

An empirical test of the extent to which a self-report measure does not correlate strongly with measures of theoretically dissimilar constructs. Also called divergent validity.