Chapter 5: Identifying Good Measures

Question 1

Conceptual Definition

Answer 1

Also known as a construct, researchers definition of a variable at the theoretical level

Question 2

Three types of Measures to Operationalize Variables

Answer 2

Self Report Measure, Observational Measure, and Physiological Measure

Question 3

Self Report Measure

Answer 3

People answer questions about themselves in questionnaires or interviews to measure a variable

Question 4

Observational Measure

Answer 4

Measures a variable by recording the observations of behaviors or physical traces of behaviors. Also known as a behavioral measure

Question 5

Physiological Measure

Answer 5

Measuring a variable using biological data.

Question 6

Categorical Variable

Answer 6

Also known as the nominal variable, this variable has levels as categories. i.e men vs women

Question 7

Quantitative Variable

Answer 7

Also known as a continuous variable, this variable has values that are recorded as meaningful numbers

Question 8

Three Types of Quantitative Variables

Answer 8

Ordinal Scale, Interval Scale, Ratio Scale

Question 9

Ordinal Scale

Answer 9

A measurement scale whose levels are ranked in an order.
The distance between levels is not equal

Question 10

Interval Scale

Answer 10

Measurement scale with no true zero and numerals represent an equal distance between levels

Question 11

Ration Scale

Answer 11

Measurement scale where there are even intervals and a true zero that represents “none”

Question 12

Reliability

Answer 12

Consistency of the results of a measure

Question 13

Validity

Answer 13

appropriateness of a conclusion or decision

Question 14

Three Types of Reliability Measurement

Answer 14

Test-Retest Reliability, Interrater Reliability, Internal Reliability

Question 15

Test-ReTest Reliability

Answer 15

Consistency in results every time a measure is used, someone will get the same results every time they take this test.

Question 16

Interrater Reliability

Answer 16

No matter who does the test, the results/ scores are consistent

Question 17

Internal Reliability

Answer 17

Participant will give a consistent pattern of answers no matter how the question is asked.

Question 18

Correlation Coefficent (r)

Answer 18

A single number between -1.0 and 10.0 that indicates the strength and direction of an association between two variables

Question 19

Strength

Answer 19

describes how well the data points in a scatterplot cluster are along a line of best fit (association)

Question 20

Average InterItem Correlation (AIC)

Answer 20

A measure of internal reliability for a set of items
The mean of all possible correlation computed between each item and the others

Question 21

Cronbach’s Alpha

Answer 21

Correlation based statistic that measures a scale’s internal reliability

Also known as the Coefficient Alpha)

Question 22

Face Validity

Answer 22

Extent to which a measure is comnsidered to be a plausible operationalization of the questioned conceptual variable

Question 23

Content Validity

Answer 23

Extent to which a measure captures all parts of a defined construct

Question 24

Criterion Validity

Answer 24

Empirical form of measurement validity that establishes the extend in which a measure is associated with a behavioral outcome

Important in self reports to see if the report matches actual behavior

Question 25

Known Groups Paradigm

Answer 25

Method for establishing Criterion Validity. Researchers test 2 or more groups who are known to differ to ensure they score differently when analyzing the variable

Question 26

Convergent Validity

Answer 26

Empirical test on the extent of correlation between self-report and the measures of a theoretically similar construct

Question 27

Discriminant Validity

Answer 27

Also known as divergent validity. An empirical test where the extent of a self report measure does not have a strong correlation with measures of a theoretically dissimilar construct.