Types & Variables

Question 0

What are the advantages and disadvantages of qualitative research?

Answer 0

Recognizes the variability of the human experience
Less structured approach allows for unexpected results/insights

Often inappropriate or impossible to generalize results
Can be lengthy to analyze
Can be difficult to test hypothesis.

Question 1

What are nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio variables?

Answer 1

Nominal: named categories
Ordinal: ranked order
Interval: consistent value difference between ranks
Ratio: has an absolute zero

Question 2

How do you determine if a variable is measurable or non-measurable?

Answer 2

.

Question 3

Which of the four variables are quantitative variables?

Answer 3

Ordinal, interval, ratio

Question 4

What is an independent variable?

Answer 4

the hypothesized cause of the dependent variable

Question 5

Which variable is the effect (outcome) variable, the independent or the dependent variable?

Answer 5

Dependent

Question 6

Which is the cause (treatment) variable, the independent or the dependent variable?

Answer 6

Independent

Question 7

What is a dependent variable?

Answer 7

Variables believed to depend on or to be caused by another variable.

Question 8

Content validity

Answer 8

addresses whether the test measures the intended content

an initial screening type of validity

.Content validity is concerned with both:

Item validity: Are the test items measuring the intended content?

Sampling validity: Do the items measure the content area being      
                              tested?

measured by expert judgment (content validation).

Question 9

Criterion-related validity: concurrent and predictive

Answer 9

Criterion-related validity is determined by relating performance on a test to performance on an alternative test or other measure

Two types of criterion-related validity include:
Concurrent
Predictive

Question 10

Construct validity

Answer 10

Construct validity is the most important form of validity.

Assesses what the test is actually measuring.

It is very challenging to establish construct validity.

Construct validity requires confirmatory and disconfirmatory evidence.
Scores on tests should relate to scores on similar tests and NOT relate to scores on other tests.

For example, scores on a math test should be more highly correlated with scores on another math test than they are to scores from a reading test.

Question 12

Consequential validity

Answer 12

Consequential validity refers to the extent to which an instrument creates harmful effects for the user.

Some tests may harm the test taker.

For example, a measure of anxiety may make a person more anxious.

Question 13

Stability-test-retest

Answer 13

Test-Retest (Stability) reliability measures the stability of scores over time.

To assess test-retest reliability, a test is given to the same group twice and a correlation is taken between the two scores.

The correlation is referred to Coefficient of Stability.

Question 14

Equivalence: equivalent-forms

Answer 14

Alternate forms (Equivalence) reliability measures the relationship between two versions of a test that are intended to be equivalent.

To assess alternate forms reliability, both tests are given to the same group and the scores on each test are correlated.

The correlation is referred to as the Coefficient of Equivalence.

Question 15

Equivalence and stability

Answer 15

Equivalence and stability reliability is represented by the relationship between equivalent versions of a test given at two different times.

To assess equivalence and stability reliability, first one test is given, after a time a similar test is given, and the scores are correlated.

The correlation is referred to as the Coefficient of Stability and Equivalence.

Question 16

Internal consistency

Answer 16

represents the extent to which items in a test are similar to one another.

Question 17

Split-half

Answer 17

The test is divided into halves and a correlation is taken between the scores on each half.

Question 18

Scorer/rater reliability

Answer 18

reflect the extent to which independent scorers or a single scorer over time agree on a score

Interjudge (inter-rater) reliability: Consistency of two or more independent scorers.

Intrajudge (intra-rater) reliability: Consistency of one person over time.

Question 19

If a test is reliable, does it mean that it is also valid?

Answer 19

Not necessarily.

Question 20

If a test is valid, does it mean that it is also reliable?

Answer 20

Not necessarily.

Question 21

What factors affect validity?

Answer 21

.

Question 22

What are the purposes of cognitive tests?

Answer 22

Measure intellectual processes

Question 23

What instruments do you use to collect qualitative data?

Answer 23

.

Question 24

What is the difference between a data collection instrument and a data collection method?

Answer 24

Instrument: test or other to used to collect data

Question 25

What types of scales are used to collect data for affective variables?

Answer 25

.

Question 26

Where would you look for published or unpublished measurement instruments?

Answer 26

MMY: The Mental Measurements Yearbook is the most comprehensive source of test information
Pro-Ed Publications
ETS Test Collection Database
Professional Journals
Test publishers and distributors

Question 33

Which of the four variables is a qualitative variable?

Answer 33

Nominal

Question 34

Concurrent

Answer 34

The scores on a test are correlated to scores on an alternative test given at the same time.

(e.g., two measures of reading achievement)

Question 35

Predictive

Answer 35

The degree to which a test can predict how well a person will do in a future situation

e.g., GRE, (with predictor represented by GRE score and criterion represented as success in graduate school).

Question 36

What is validity a measure of?

Answer 36

the extent we are measuring what we hope to measure (and what we think we are measuring)

Question 37

What are the purpose of affective tests?

Answer 37

To measure mental characteristics related to emotion