Chapter 5, 6, and 7

Question 1

_________________ refers to how well a study’s variables are measured or manipulated.

Answer 1

Construct Validity

Question 2

As researchers decide how they should operationalize each variable in a study, they choose among three common types of measures: _____________, _______________, and _____________________.

Answer 2

Self-report, observational, and physiological.

Question 3

To study conceptual variables, researchers start by __________________ and then create an _____________________.

Answer 3

Stating a definition of their construct and then create an operational definition.

Question 4

A _____________________ operationalizes a variable by recording people’s answers to questions about themselves in a questionnaire or interview

Answer 4

Self-report measure

Question 5

An _____________________ operationalizes a variable by recording observable behaviors or physical traces of behaviors.

Answer 5

Observational measure

Question 6

______________________ operationalize variables by recording biological data, such as brain activity, hormone levels, or heart rate.

Answer 6

Physiological measures

Question 7

Operational variables can be _______________ or ____________________.

Answer 7

Categorical (nominal) or quantitative (continuous)

Question 8

___________________________ can further be classified as ordinal, interval, or ratio.

Answer 8

Quantitative variables

Question 9

_______________________ represent a ranked order without equal intervals

Answer 9

Ordinal scales

Question 10

_________________________ have equal intervals between levels but lack a true zero point.

Answer 10

Interval scales

Question 11

____________________________ have equal intervals and a true zero point, allowing for meaningful ratios.

Answer 11

Ratio scales

Question 12

The reliability of a measure determines whether researchers can rely on its scores _________________________.

Answer 12

Consistently

Question 13

Reliability can be assessed through _____________________, _____________________________, and ________________________.

Answer 13

Test-retest reliability, interrater reliability, and internal reliability.

Question 14

_________________________ ensures that individuals receive similar scores each time they are measured.

Answer 14

Test-retest reliability

Question 15

_____________________________ ensures consistency in scores regardless of who conducts the measurement.

Answer 15

Interrater reliability

Question 16

_________________________________ applies to measures combining multiple items, ensuring consistency across items.

Answer 16

Internal reliability

Question 17

Researchers use ________________________________ and ________________________ to quantify reliability.

Answer 17

Scatterplots and correlation coefficients

Question 18

_________________ visually represent the strength and direction of the relationship between variables.

Answer 18

Scatterplots

Question 19

The relationship is strong when dots are ___________ to the line.

Answer 19

Close

Question 20

The correlation coefficient (r) quantifies the relationship, ranging from _____ to _____.

Answer 20

-1.0 to 1.0.

Question 21

A positive slope corresponds to a positive r, indicating a ___________ relationship, while a negative slope corresponds to a negative r, indicating an _____________ relationship.

Answer 21

Direct and inverse

Question 22

The closer r is to 1 or -1, the ____________ the relationship; when closer to 0, the relationship is __________________.

Answer 22

Stronger and weaker

Question 23

A ______________.r in interrater reliability suggests serious discrepancies between observers’ ratings.

Answer 23

Negative

Question 24

_________________ is used instead of r for assessing interrater reliability when observers rate categorical variables, measuring agreement in placing participants into categories.

Answer 24

Kappa

Question 25

The closer Cronbach’s alpha is to ________, the better the scale’s reliability.

Answer 25

1.0

Question 26

For self-report measures, researchers are looking for Cronbach’s alpha of _________ or higher

Answer 26

.80

Question 27

________________ is the appropriateness of a conclusion or decision.

Answer 27

Validity

Question 28

__________________ is the upward, downward, or neutral slope of the cluster of data points in a scatterplot.

Answer 28

Slope direction

Question 29

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

Answer 29

Strength

Question 30

_______________________ is 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.

Answer 30

Average inter-item correlation

Question 31

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

Answer 31

Cronbach’s alpha

Question 32

________________________ is crucial for abstract constructs like happiness, intelligence, stress, or self-esteem, which cannot be directly observed.

Answer 32

Construct validity

Question 33

___________________ refers to the subjective plausibility of a measure aligning with the conceptual definition of a construct.

Answer 33

Face validity

Question 34

_________________________ evaluates whether a measure correlates with a specific behavioral outcome that it should theoretically be associated with.

Answer 34

Criterion validity

Question 35

________________________ is especially important for self-report measures because the correlation can indicate how well people’s self-reports predict their actual behavior.

Answer 35

Criterion validity

Question 36

__________________________________ is when researchers see whether scores on the measure can discriminate among two or more groups whose behavior is already confirmed.

Answer 36

Known groups paradigm

Question 37

___________________________ is an empirical test of the extent to which a self-report measure correlates with other measures of a theoretically similar construct. See also discriminant validity.

Answer 37

Convergent validity

Question 38

__________________________ is an empirical test of the extent to which a self-report measure does not correlate strongly with measures of theoretically dissimilar constructs.

Answer 38

Discriminant validity

Question 39

_________________________ is the extent to which a measure captures all parts of a defined construct.

Answer 39

Content validity