Measurement

Question 1

independent variable = presumed cause

Answer 1

variable whose change is NOT affected by change in another variable
- stays consistent thru-out experiment
ex. number of credits, course description

Question 2

dependant variable

Answer 2

variable whose change IS affected by change in another variable
- changes across participants in study
ex. GPA, test scores

Question 3

conceptual variable = psychological construct

Answer 3

abstract ideas that form the basis of a research hypothesis that can’t be directly measured
ex. emotion, personality

Question 4

operational variable

Answer 4

definition of an abstract concept used by researchers to measure/manipulate that abstract concept in a study
ex. testing memory (CV) using digit span test (OV)

Question 5

reliability = consistency

Answer 5

measure is stable and consistent
- are ppl responding to the measure in a similar manner each time?

Question 6

reliability types (3)

Answer 6

1. test-retest
2. internal
3. inter-rater

Question 7

test-retest = over time

Answer 7

test scores remain consistent over time
- get the same measurement again after repeated trials
ex. height, weight, distance, temp
- issue: practice effects

Question 8

internal reliability = over items

Answer 8

scores on multi-item measure are similar when assessing the same construct
- measure has consistency w/in the test itself
- reflects all correlated items of general topic
ex. teaching ability is correlated w/:
- good lecs
- low drop out rates
- clear assignment instructions
- timeliness

Question 9

inter-rater reliability = over researchers

Answer 9

diff observers give similar results
- ex. 2 docs giving similar test results

Question 10

validity = accuracy

Answer 10

scores from a measure rep the variable they are intended to
- measuring what you say you are

Question 11

validity types (4)

Answer 11

1. face
2. content
3. criterion
4. discriminant

Question 12

face validity

Answer 12

measure appears “on its face” to measure construct of interest
ex. self-esteem scale, job satisfaction questionnaire,

Question 13

content validity

Answer 13

measure covers all construct components
ex. credibility: honesty, trust, truthfulness, competent, accurate, believable

Question 14

criterion validity

Answer 14

scores on a measure are correlated with other variables that are expected
ex. - sleep quantity+grades
- teaching quality+drop-out rates

Question 15

discriminant validity

Answer 15

scores are NOT correlated w/ other variables that are NOT expected
ex. current mood NOT correlated to self esteem

Question 16

DV measurement (4)

Answer 16

1. self report
2. tests
3. behavioral
4. physiological

Question 17

self report

Answer 17

questionnaires/interviews asking ppl about their feelings, thoughts, or actions on a topic

Question 18

tests

Answer 18

asses individual differences in particular area
- achievement: present competence (test grade)
- aptitude: potential competence (SAT)

Question 19

behavioral

Answer 19

carefully recording/observing behavior
ex. eye contact
issue: ppl react unnaturally when they know they are being watched

Question 20

physiological

Answer 20

bodily activity measures
ex. heart rate