exam 2 Flashcards
Why do we have reliability and variability?
In order to ensure that data collected IS WHAT WE THINK THER ARE, or what we use to measure IS IN FACT MEASUING DATA.
because INTERPRETATION OF DATA HAS CONSEQUENCES & All statistics IS MEANINGLESS unless we are confident that we know what we are looking at
What is a measurement scale?
The assignment of values to outcomes following a set of rules. PARTICULAR LEVELS AT WHICH OUTCOMES ARE BEING MEASURED.
What are the 4 different types of measurement scale?
nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio, always DEGREE OF ERROR, different PRECISENESS
Definition+example of a nominal mesurement scale
“names” (nominal- Latin). It is the LEAST PRECISE. DATA CAN ONLY BE CLASSIFIED.
MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE CATEGORIES, outcome FIT IN ONE AND ONLY ONE.
Ex: Gender, Ethnicity, political affiliation
Definition+example of an ordinal mesurement scale
ORDER and the things being measured are ordered. DATA ARE RANKED Ex: your rank in class…. (We know that #1 is better than #2, but we don’t know by how much)
Definition+example of an interval mesurement scale
: MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VALUES. tool based on A CONTINUUM. Ex:temperature, dress size, metrics?
Definition+example of a ratio mesurement scale
MEANINGFUL 0 POINT & RATIO between VALUES.
EX: Number of boys versus 0 degrees
0 boys would be the ABSOLUTE VALUE thus the RATIO, since there are actually no boys present in the room
What are the 4 general scales rules?
- Any outcome can be assigned to one of 4 scales of measurement.
- ORDER FROM LEAST TO MOST PRECISE ( nominal-ratio)
- HIGHER SCALE ARE MORE INFORMATIVE AND PRECISE
- THE MORE PRECISE, contains ALL qualities of scale BELOW
What is reliability?
test used as a measurement tool is measuring something CONSISTENTLY. we should be able to use the test TIME after TIME and get SIMILAR RESULTS.
What are the two test score element;
*observed score (score obtained i.e. 94.5% in my stats first exam) versus
* true score (97%)
Observed score= true score+ error score (reason why test score vary from being 100% true)
what is the first form of reliability? example
1)TEST-RETEST: examine if test is reliable over TIME, helps examine changes over time.
if conditions are the same, results should be the same.
ex: same exam taken different results each time its taken=not reliable
What is the third form of reliability? example
3)Internal CONSISTENCY: extent to which a test or procedure is CONSISTENT WITHIN ITSELF i.e., questionnaire items or questions in an interview should all be measuring the same thing= REPRESENT ONE dimension or area of interest CRONBACH’S ALPHA
To remember on Reliability
Ensure instructions are standardized and clear across all settings
- Increase no of observations to increase the chance of the sample being reliable.
- Delete all unclear items.
- Moderate the easiness/difficulty of test
- Minimize external effects
What is validity?
The tool MEASURES WHAT IT SAYS IT DOES; what it’s supposed to
What is the first type of validity?
CONTENT VALIDITY:Good SAMPLE of the specific “UNIVERSE”
ex: Does the content of a test cover everything in the area of interest?
What is the second type of validity?
CRITERION VALIDITY:Systematically RELATED TO OTHER CRITERION
1 Concurrent: New measure test scores are CORRELATED with those FROM AN ESTABLISHED VALID test
ex: we have a high positive correlation between scores on the new and old tests. this test valid!
2 Predictive:futur
Ex:Can an intelligence test at age 3 predict academic performance at 21?
Not finding the validity evidence
means that your test is not doing what it should.
when no criterion validity
to re-examine the nature of the items on the test and answer questions the way you expect the responses to be.
Not finding construct validity
means that you have to take a closer look at the theoretical rationale that underlies the test you have developed.
Relationship between validity and reliability
A test can be reliable and not valid, but not the other way around. Because a test can do what it does over and over, but still not do what it is supposed to do.
HYPOTHESIS
Definition
It is an EDUCATED GUESS
The “QUESTION/PROBLEM STATEMENT” we want to answer/address with research
TRANSLATES A PROBLEM IN A QUESTION that can be tested.
,
How to formulate a good hypothesis
- should TRANSLATE A statement/research question into a more amenable testing form.
- Use the RESEARCH question as a GUIDE. Then the hypothesis will determine the techniques to use to create a good hypothesis
rules about Samples and population
Samples should ACCURATELY, to allow a higher a degree of GENERALIZATION for the study results.
Null Hypothesis def:
Statement that two or more things are EQUAL OR UNRELATED to each other
H0 : m1 = m2 or H0 : rm1m2 = 0
Purpose of the NH
The NH acts as BENCHMARK & STARTING POINT against which the actual OUTCOMES of a study can be MEASURED (STATE OF AFFAIR accepted coz no other info)
Research hypothesis def
STATEMENT OF INEQUALITY posits that there is a RELATIONSHIP between variables.
RH two forms
•NON-DIRECTIONAL RH (ONE TAIL): UNSPECIFIED DIFFERENCE between groups, H1 : X1 > X2 more than/less than
• DIRECTIONAL RH (2 TAILS): SPECIFIED DIFFERENCE between groups.
H1 : X1 ≠ X2
Purpose of RH
DIRECTLY TESTED in RESEARCH. results compared with you expect by CHANCE ALONE & see what is a more attractive explanation for any differences observed between groups.
Difference between the NH and the RH
•RELATIONSHIP (NH-YES & RH- NO)
•NH -POPULATION &the RH -SAMPLE.
•NH INDIRECTLY tested & RH DIRECTLY ested
•NH in GREEK symbols & RH in ROMAN symbols.
*NH is IMPLIED, & RH is EXPLICIT- reason why NH is not used in research reports.
What makes a good hypothesis?
•DECLARATIVE form & NOT A QUESTION •POSITS A RELATIONSHIP between VARIABLES variables •REFLECT THEORYon which based •Should be BRIEF & TO THE POINT. -TESTABLE (unambiguous)