Unit 1 - Chapter 5 Flashcards
What are the different types of measurement scales?
- Nominal scales
- Ordinal scales
- Interval
- Ratio
What are the different kinds of variables?
- Dependent and independent
- Confounded
- Quantitative and categorical
- Continuous and discrete
What is a nominal scale?
Divides objects or events into categories according to their similarities or differences.
Example:
What is an ordinal scale?
A measurement that both assigns objects or events a name and arranges them in order of their magnitude.
Example: Mary has 5 pairs of mitts, 4 hats, 3 scarves, 2 pairs of boots, and 1 snowsuit
What is an interval scale?
A measure in which the differences between numbers are meaningful; includes both nominal and ordinal information.
Example: On a scale of 1 - 5, with 1 being awful and 5 being amazing, how would you rate the following vegetables?
Peas, Corn, Green beans, Broccoli, Asparagus
What is a ratio scale?
A measure having a meaningful zero point as well as all of the nominal, ordinal, and interval properties.
Example: Rating vegetables. If you are neutral about a vegetable, give it a 0. If you have
What is meant by the “reliability” of measurements?
The consistency of a measurement that gives the same result on different occasions.
Example —}
What is meant by the “validity” of measurement?
The property of a measurement that tests what it is supposed to test.
Example —}
What is the task of research?
- To find relationships between independent and dependent variables.
- Find out how the dependent variable changes with changes in the independent variable
What is error variance, or random error?
Variability in the dependent variable that is not associated with the independent variable.
Example —}
What are the four different kinds of validity of measurement?
- Construction validity
- Face validity
- Content validity
- Criterion validity
What is construct validity?
A test that the measurements actually measure the constructs they are designed to measure, but no others.
Example —}
What is face validity?
The idea that a test should appear superficially to test what it is supposed to test.
Example —} Primarily a public relations issue. On the “face of it”, does the test measure what it is supposed to measure? A measure for intelligence can not be measuring the length of people’s feet
What is content validity?
The idea that a test should sample the range of behaviour represented by the concept being tested.
Example —} If you’re going to test intelligence, you measure spatial ability, verbal ability, general knowledge etc. Testing only one feature would not have sufficient content validity
What is criterion validity?
The idea that test should correlate with other measures of the same theoretical construct.
Example —} A valid test of intelligence should produce results consistent with other intelligence tests. As well, it should correlate with other indicators of intelligence such as good school performance.
