Scales of Measurement, Independent and Dependent variables Flashcards
What are the 4 scales of measurement?
1) Nominal (category membership)
2) Ordinal (ranked or ordered)
3) Interval (equal increments, but no real 0 point)
4) Ratio (real 0 point)
What is Nominal as a scale of measurement?
- The lowest level of measurement
- Category membership (mutually exclusive categories)
- Numbers assigned serve as
labels but do not indicate
numerical relationship
e.g. gender, political party,
religion
What is the lowest level of measurement?
Nominal
Classifying people into different gender categories is known as what type of scale of measurement?
Nominal
What is Ordinal as a scale of measurement?
- 2nd lowest level of measurement
- Data can be ranked along a continuum
- Intervals between ranks are not equal
e.g. race positions, attractiveness
What is the 2nd lowest level of measurement?
Ordinal
A Likert scale is used to measure agreement and disagreement on controversial topics. The scale goes from Strongly Agree, Agree, Somewhat Agree, Undecided, Somewhat Disagree, Disagree, Strongly disagree. The differences between Strongly Agree and Agree is not necessarily the same as the differences between Agree and Somewhat Agree.
What scale of measurement is this?
Ordinal
What scale of measurement puts participants in order from highest/best/most to lowest/worst/least?
Ordinal
What is Interval as a scale of measurement?
- 2nd highest level of measurement
- Intervals between successive values are equal but no ‘true’ zero point
e.g. temperature, shoe size
Temperature is an example of a (nominal/ordinal/interval/ratio) data?
Interval
What is the 2nd highest level of measurement?
Interval
What is Ratio as a scale of measurement?
- The highest level of measurement
- Has equal intervals
- Has a true zero point
- e.g. height, distance.
What is the highest level of measurement?
Ratio
Height and Weight are examples of (nominal/ordinal/interval/ratio) data
Ratio
Match the example with the scales of measurement
Mike is “small” and Sully is “tall”
a) Nominal
b) Ordinal
c) Interval
d) Ratio
a) Nominal
Match the examples with the scales of measurement
Mike is “2’3 feet” and Sully is “5’9 feet”
a) Nominal
b) Ordinal
c) Interval
d) Ratio
Ratio
Match the example with the scales of measurement
Mike is “the shortest” in the class and Sully is “the second tallest” in the class
a) Nominal
b) Ordinal
c) Interval
d) Ratio
Ordinal
Match the example with the scales of measurement
Mike wears “size 6 clothing” and Sully wears “size 14 clothing”
a) Nominal
b) Ordinal
c) Interval
d) Ratio
Interval
What are experimental methods?
A research design which allows us to make causal inferences about the influence of one or more variables on a variable of interest
How do you conduct Experimental Methods?
By manipulating one or more variables and measuring the effect on other variables
e.g. Effects of alcohol on memory function
Manipulated variable = Amount of alcohol consumed
Measured variable: Score on the memory test
What variables are manipulated?
a) Independent
b) Dependent
c) Control
a) Independent
What variables are measured?
a) Independent
b) Dependent
c) Control
b) Dependent
What variables are kept constant?
a) Independent
b) Dependent
c) Control
c) Control
What are independent variables?
The variable that is manipulated and is hypothesised to bring about a change in the variable of interest
e.g. Treatment group
Group 1 = 2 Levels (drug and no drug)
Group 2 = 4 Levels (drug, counselling, mentoring and group therapy)
What are dependent variables?
- The variable that is measured
- We compare differences in the DV under
the different levels of the IV
e.g. exam score
A group of students sit a multiple choice exam and receive a mark out of 80. We consider scores on this exam to be a variable that measures knowledge. What is the highest level of measurement we can consider this to be?
a. Nominal b. Ordinal c. Interval d. Ratio
C
This type of data can be ordered on a continuum but the intervals between ranks are not equal…
a. Nominal b. Ordinal c. Interval d. Ratio
B
Doron is doing a study about stereotyping. He wants to know if the clothes that a lecturer wears influences student perceptions of teaching quality. Doron splits the students into two groups and gives his lecture to group 1 wearing a tracksuit and group 2 in a suit. He then asks students to complete a questionnaire about teaching quality.
The group variable (group 1 or group 2), is an example of what kind of data?
a. Nominal b. Ordinal c. Interval d. Ratio
A
Doron is doing a study about stereotyping. He wants to know if the clothes that a lecturer wears influences student perceptions of teaching quality. Doron splits the students into two groups and gives his lecture to group 1 wearing a tracksuit and group 2 in a suit. He then asks students to complete a questionnaire about teaching quality.
What is Doron’s independent variable?
a. Student perceptions of teaching quality b. Time of lecture c. Clothing worn d. Student exam scores
C
Doron is doing a study about stereotyping. He wants to know if the clothes that a lecturer wears influences student perceptions of teaching quality. Doron splits the students into two groups and gives his lecture to group 1 wearing a tracksuit and group 2 in a suit. He then asks students to complete a questionnaire about teaching quality.
What is Doron’s dependent variable?
a. Student perceptions of teaching quality b. Time of lecture c. Clothing worn d. Student exam scores
A
What type of measurement scale would we use to measure gender?
a. Nominal b. Ordinal c. Interval d. Ratio
A
Reaction times in milliseconds is an example of what type of data
a. Nominal b. Ordinal c. Interval d. Ratio
D
