Text Ch.5 Flashcards
operationalization:
the movement from an abstract concept(acedemic excellence) to a concrete measure(mid-term examination mark)
Concept vs. Variable
concept: is an idea or a term that enables us to classify phenomena; equality, order, social class, etc.
- can be relatively abstract(liberty) or relatively concrete(region)
- the more abstract a concept, the more difficult it is to find a definition that is acceptable to one’s peers
Variable:when we trasnform our conceptual definition into a quantifiable, observable phenomena
_____ on variables change the way we interpret results
values
complex multiple indicator
a combination of variables, such as aspects of a persons political participation, into an index or scale;used to provide a more complete description or measurment of a concept
-by using multiple variables to quanitify the conceptual definition, we are able to capture more fully the meaning of the concept
indicators
once we have selected variables to measure a concept, we still need ways to gather information about them
-the means by which we assign each individual case to the different values of the variable
three basic levels of measurment
1.categorical(Nominal)
.a level of measurment in which variables are given numerical values(1,2,3,etc) that represent a difference in kind rather than in degree(ex: 2 is not higher than 1 but simply different)
2.Ordinal
.a level of measurment in which values represent differences and can be ranked from lowest to highest(ex: level of agree on an agree/disagree question); unlike interval variables, there is not a consistent unit accross the range of values
3.Interval
.a level of measurment in which all values have a numerical category, the categories are ranked and there is a consitent range between each value
- Nominal level variables have categories, ordinal level have categories that can be ranked, and interval level have categories that can be ranked with specified distance
- Higher the measurment used, the more powerful the statistics
when balancing type of measurment and precision what is the goal?
we should strive for the highest level of measurment that is useful for the research question at hand
feeling thermometer
the type of measure in which the metaphor of a thermometer is used to assist respondents to identify their beliefs, feelings, or thoughts as relatively “warm” or relatively “cold”; often used with a 100-point scale
Accuracy in Measurment
When we are contemplating the accuracy of indicators and variables, we need to look at two issues: _____ and _____.
Do the indicators measure the variables?
Do the variables represent the concepts?
Are the measures stable or are different results obtained with repeated use of the measures?
When we are contemplating the accuracy of indicators and variables, we need to look at two issues: validity and reliability.
validity=degree of fit
reliability=consistent despite circumstances such as time or population
-reliability does not ensure validity
4 types of validity
1.Face Validity: is the measure logical?
- Convergent Validity: form of validity compares indicators designed to measure the same variable
- logically if to indicators are being used to measure the same variable, results should be similar - Discriminant(Divergent) Validity: Opposite of convergent
- if two indicators predict opposing or extremely dissimilar views, they should yeild different results for most cases - Predictive Validity: Does use of the measure help us predict outcomes?
- use pilot test
Random Vs. Non-random errors
Random=exist when a measure is inacurate but the inaccuracy is not systematic
Non=are systematic errors
index
a single measure of the concept or variable in question made up of many selected indicators
Define Ambiguity and provide the two types
Ambiguity: an expression is ambiguous when it has more than one acceptable interpretation
- Semantic ambiguity: word has more than one interpretation e.g., Woman stonedat public rally.
- Syntactic ambiguity: phrase has more than one interpretation e.g., Police kill man with chainsaw.
What did Socrates say about defining terms?
“The beginning of wisdom is a definition of terms.” -Socrate“
Name some common political science concepts
- Ideology • Nationalism • National identity • Political interest • Civic duty • Political trust • Political efficacy • Political participation
- Political culture • Political alienation • Social class • Economic development • Partisanship • Political knowledge • Democracy • Political apathy
