Chapter 6 Review

Question 1

Quantitative and Qualitative measurement approach

Answer 1

1. Timing
2. Data
3. Data-concept-measurement linkages

Question 2

Timing

Answer 2

Quantitative researchers convert measures in the design stage

Qualitative researchers do this later after some data is gathered

Question 3

Data

Answer 3

Quantitative researchers develop techniques that produce numeric data

Qualitative researchers don’t try to convert data into numbers

Question 4

Data-concept-measurement linkages

Answer 4

Quantitative researchers develop measurement techniques that bridge concepts and data
- Moving from the concepts, the researcher develops ways to measure that concept

Qualitative researcher use the data to develop their concepts
- Moving from the data, the researcher develops definitions of concepts

Question 5

Operationalization

Answer 5

This links a conceptual definition to a specific set of measurement techniques or procedures

Question 6

Conceptualization

Answer 6

The researcher develops concepts as they work through data collection and analysis

Develops concepts, defines them, and considered relationship amount them

Question 7

Qualitative operationalization and conceptualization

Answer 7

Conceptualization

Research develops concepts as they work through data collection and analysis

Develops concepts, defines them, and considers relationship among them

Often, concepts are derived from data (eg. field notes, interviews)

Question 8

Quantitative Conceptualization and operationalization

Answer 8

Conceptual hypothesis - A type of hypothesis in which the researcher expresses variables in abstract

Empirical Hypothesis - A type of hypothesis in which the researcher expresses variables in specific terms and expresses the association amount the measured indicators of observable empirical evidence

Question 9

Reliability

Answer 9

If we use the same technique to study the same phenomenon repeatedly we should see the same or at least similar results

Exmaple: Measures should be consistent across different researchers

Question 10

Validity

Answer 10

This refers to the degree to which a measure reflects the concept in use

Does a measure really reflect the concept its supposed to

Question 11

Reliability and Validity in Quantitative Research

Answer 11

1. Clearly conceptualize constructs
2. Increase the level of measurement
3. Use multiple indicators of a variable
4. Use pretexts, pilot studies and replication

Question 12

Clearly conceptualize construct

Answer 12

Reliability increases when a single construct or sub-dimension of a construct is measured

Question 13

Increase the level of measurment

Answer 13

Indicators at a higher or more precise levels of measurements are more likely to be reliable than less precise measures because the latter pick up less deteailed information

Ex. Income - measure in 10,000 rather than high medium or low

Question 14

Use multiple indicators of a variable

Answer 14

Use of two or more of the same construct are better than one

Eg. To examine “concern for the environment” attitude measures and behaviour measures

Question 15

Use of pretexts, pilot studies and replication

Answer 15

Protest or trial a measure first

Involves developing a preliminary version and using it before hypothesis testing

Question 16

Reliability in Qualitative Research

Answer 16

Reliability
- Some qualitative researchers criticize the idea of reliability
Questioned because the social world evolves, changes over time

Researchers relationship to what they studied and the relationship with people they studied

Question 17

Validity in Qualitative Research

Answer 17

Authenticity - Means giving a fair, honest and balanced account of social life from the viewpoint of the insider of those who participated in the research

They use servers techniques to convey the insiders view to others

Credibility - Are findings consistent with reality

Transferability - Are findings applicable beyond the immediate setting

Question 18

Types of measurment in validity

Answer 18

1. Face Validity
2. Content Validity
3. Criterion validity

Question 19

Face Validity

Answer 19

It is a judgement by the scientific community that the indicator measures the construct

How much a person earns per year would be a good indicator of income

Question 20

Content Validity

Answer 20

It addresses the question “is the full content of a definition represented in a measure”

Example: feminism commitment to full equality between men and women at work and at home

We would need indicators for both gender equality at work and gender equality at home to fully represent the measure

Question 21

Criterion Validity

Answer 21

This uses some standard that is already judged as valid to indicate a construct accurately. Value is assessed by comparing the measure to the standard

2 subtypes

1. Concurrent Validity
   - Must be associated with a pre-existing indicator that is judged to be valid (it had face validity)
2. Predictive Validity
   - An indicator predicts future events that are logically related to a construct
   eg. If a student gets a high LSAT score then they will do well in law school

Question 22

Levels of Measurement

Answer 22

Nominal Measures

Ordinal Measures

Interval Measures

Ratio Measures

Question 23

Nominal measures

Answer 23

They indicate only that there is a difference among categories

eg. Marital status, married, single
The attributes CANNOT be ranked

Question 24

Ordinal Measures

Answer 24

They indicate a difference plus the categories can be ordered or ranked

Eg. Letters, grades

Question 25

Interval Measures

Answer 25

Identifies differences amount variable attributes, and ranks, and measures distance between categories

Distance between adjacent attributes is the same

No true zero

Eg. Temperature

Question 26

Ratio Measures

Answer 26

The most precise level of measurement for which variable attributes can be ranked in order, the distance between attributes is precisely measured and has an absolute zero

Eg. Income, years of education, age

Question 27

Qualities of a good measure

Question 28

Scales and Indices

Answer 28

They are often used in social research to measure degree or intensity

Both scales and indices produce ordinal or interval-level measures

Scales and indices condense or compress information that is gathered

Eg. Instead of using 8 separate items we compress these into an index and get one measure

Scales is an ordinal, interval, or ratio measure of a variable expressed as a numerical score

Used to:
1. Help conceptualize and operationalize. Scaled show the fit between a set of indicators and a single construct

2. Scaling produces quantitative measures can be used with other variables to test hypotheses