Midterm Flashcards
Measurement Validity
When the measure measures what we think it measures.
Generalizability
The extent to which info gleaned can be used to inform about population as whole (External validity)
Causal validity
Internal Validity - when hypothesis that A causes B is correct.
3 Stages of forming a good research question
- identifying 2. refining 3. feasible?
Theory
logical interraled set of proportions about empirical reality
Inductive Reasoning
observed data –> generalization which explains relationships between objects observed
(QUALITATIVE)
Deductive Reasoning
theory –> hypothesis –> define variables and operations –> implement measurements and observations to see if they confirm/fail hypothesis
(QUANTITATIVE)
Dependent Variable
variable that DEPENDS on another variable
Positive Association/Correlation
going in the same direction
Negative Association/Correlation
going in different directions
Theoretical Statement
social networks positively influence psychological wellbeing.
Moderating Variable
Variable that influences relationship between variables
Mediating Variable
Variable that explains the relationship between variables
Problem Formulation
- Problem area (something you are interested in). 2. Idea (what are concepts and possible variations)
- Theory (how are concepts related to each other)
Operationalization
How we measure variables included in a study
Direct Measurements
Visual, physical symptoms, interviews, self-administered questionnaire, written records
Indirect Measurements
Unobtrusive/Indirect observations, content analysis
Nominal Measurement
categories: types of vanilla, milk, etc. (when you can’t order other things) (gender, ethnicity, religion)
Ordinal Measurement
No measureable distance between values, Taste Test: rating of 1-5 (social class, racism, sexism)
Interval/Ratio
measureable distance between values, based on absolute zero, degrees, etc. (meaningful intervals)
Discrete variable
cannot take on all values within the limits (ex: 1, 2, 3)
Continuous variable
variable can take on any variable (ex: 1, 1.25, 1.45, 2)
Measurement Error
- Systematic (social desirability, acquiescence bias, leading questions)
- Random (why respondents feel that way that day, regression to the mean, multiple rating behr’s, inadequate training)
Reliability
The measurement is consistent