Lecture 7 Flashcards
What is a concept?
- A general NOTION OR IDEA
- An idea of something formed by mentally combining all its characteristics or particulars: a construct.
- Something that cannot be directly or indirectly observed, its more of an abstraction
Which is a concept and which is a variable? : Gender & Male
Male, for example, is a concept
but can’t be a variable. It can only take on one value, and therefore is only an attribute. Gender, on the other hand, is a concept that can take on more than one value and therefore be a variable.
What is conceptualization?
Is a process through which we specify precisely what we will mean when we use particular terms
Please place these in order: (progression of measurement steps, start with a vague sense to specific measurement):
Operational definition, measurements in the real world, nominal definition, conceptualization.
A: conceptualization, nominal definition, operational definition, measurements in the real world.
What do indicators do?
They indicate the presence or absence of the concept
How we measure indicators is the issue of _______
Operationalization
What is operationalization?
- The selection/creation of a specific, concrete procedure to measure/manipulate the construct of interest
Fan definition:- Operationalization is the final specification of how we would recognize the attributes of a given variable in the real world.
In operationalization, concrete empirical procedures that will result in measurements of variables are specified
- Operationalization is the final specification of how we would recognize the attributes of a given variable in the real world.
Operational definition?
- An Operational Definition is the definition of a variable in terms of the operations or techniques used to measure or manipulate it. Examples: -“Height” as defined by the number of feet/inches a person is tall. * It is easier to define concrete terms than abstract terms.
Other example: when researching Happiness, using facial expression to measure happiness. (facial expression as operational definition)
What is the process of conceptualization ? (6)
CO OI OH
1. CONCEPT : idea / mental image 2. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION - should be clear / defining necessary & sufficient conditions 3. Looking for something OBSERVABLE (measurable) 4. INDICATORS 5. OPERATIONALIZATION (how to measure indicators) 6. HYPOTHESIS
A definition is a statement that explains the meaning of a term. This statement satisfies both ______ and ______ conditions for the term.
Necessary & sufficient
What is necessary condition?
What MUST BE PRESENT in order for thing to be a thing to be a thing we define (a necessary condition for “bachelor” is “unmarried”
What is a sufficient condition?
Something that is ENOUGH for a thing to be a thing that we define
Being born in Canada is a ____ condition, but not a _______ condition for being a Canadian citizen.
Sufficient / necessary
Being in the 1 year HSBW program is a _______ condition for being a SW student.
Sufficient
Why do we need definitions in research?
How we choose to operationally define a variable can greatly influence our research findings
When definitions are unclear, what is likely to happen?
People may argue different things and assume they are arguing the same thing
What was wittgenstein’s argument?
the world we see is defined and given meaning by the words we choose. In short, the world is what we make of it.”
True or false:
We need borders and boundaries for a concept.
True
True or false:
We need to make connections between the abstract concept and the image of the real things in our minds.
T
What is an indicator?
- Something visible or evident that gives grounds for believing in the existence of something else
- An instrument used to MEASURE current conditions as well as to PREDICT trends.
Why must indicators be observable?
Because they need to be measurable
What is an Extraneous Variables?
- an extraneous variable is any variable that you’re not investigating that can potentially affect the outcomes of your research study. If left uncontrolled, extraneous variables can lead to inaccurate conclusions about the relationship between independent and dependent variables.
- For example, if a participant is taking a test in a chilly room, the temperature would be considered an extraneous variable.
What is a curvilinear relationship?
A curvilinear relationship is one in which the nature of the relationship changes at certain levels of the variables.
What is an example of an indicator for absolute poverty?
eg. how much food/water/shelter someone has
What is binomial?
Yes or no (two categories)
What is categorical variables?
- Makes a meaningful division (eg. Low/mid/high income)
Other eg. race, sex, age group, and educational level.
What is a continuous variable?
Continuous variables are variables that can take on any value within a range.
For example age / height
T or F: Operational measure should be designed after observations
False. Operational measures should be designed BEFORE observation.
True or false: The most salient variables will be known in advance
False, you may not know in advance what all of the most salient variables are
_________ __ __ ______ of the variable prevents us from anticipating the best way to define it
Limitations of our understanding
Why is poverty considered a concept?
- Because some people living in poverty may have no concept of poverty
- Poverty can be understood in many senses
What is considered absolute poverty according to the Word Bank standard?
$1 or $2/day
What is considered poverty for EU standard?
%60 of median income
What is Canada’s measure for poverty?
LICO
What is a hypothesis?
A statement that postulates the relationship between the independent and dependent variable
What does a curvilinear, U-Shape, Reversed U-shape relationship refer to?
Types of relationships between variables
What does a positive relationship between variables look like on a graph?
When the y variable tends to increase as the x variable increases
