Week 7 Flashcards
Concepts that are not observable but can be defined based on observable characteristics
Constructs
Things that require indirect observation and inference to measure
Indirect observables
The process by which researchers describe and ascribe meaning to the key facts, concepts or other phenomena the are investigating
Measurement
The things that we can see with the nakedness eye by simply looking at them
Observational terms
Notion or image that we conjure up when we think of some cluster of related observations or ideas
Concept
Writing out clear, concise definitions for our key concepts, particularly in quantitative research
Conceptualization
Concepts that are comprised of multiple elements
Multi-dimensional concepts
Assuming that abstract concepts exist in some concrete, tangible way
Reification
A measure that contains several indicators and is used to summarize a more general concept
Index
Represent the concepts that the researcher is interested in studying
Indicators
A process by which quantitative researchers spell out precisely how a concept will be measured and how to interpret that measure
Operationalization
Composite measure designed to account for the possibility that different items on an index may vary in intensity
Scale
Measure that categorizes concepts by theme
Typology
The degree to which researchers capture the multiple perspectives and values of participants in their study and foster change across participants and systems during their analysis
Authenticity
If a measure is able to predict outcomes from an established measure given at the same time
Concurrent validity
The degree to which the results reported are linked to the data obtained from participants
Confirmability
If the measure includes all of the possible meanings of the concept
Content validity
If a measure is conceptually similar to an existing measure of the same concept
Convergent validity
The degree to which the results are accurate and viewed as important and believable by participants
Credibility
Ensures that proper qualitative procedures were followed and that any changes that emerged during the research process are accounted for, justified, and described in the final report
Dependability
When a measure is not related to measures to which it shouldn’t be statistically correlated
Discriminant validity
If it is plausible that the measure measures what it intends to
Face validity
The degree to which “different constructions, perspectives, and positions are not only allowed to emerge, but are also seriously considered for merit and worth”
Fairness
Degree to which scores on each question of a scale are correlated with each other
Internal consistency reliability
The degree to which different observers agree on what happened
Inter-rater reliability
If a measure predicts things it should be able to predict in the future
Predictive validity
A measure’s consistency
Reliability
If a measure is given multiple times, the results will be consistent each time
Test-retest reliability
The “truth value, applicability, consistency, and neutrality” of the results of a research study
Truthworthiness
A measure’s accuracy
Validity
When respondents say yes to whatever the researcher asks
Acquiescence bias
Characteristics that make up a variable
Attributes
Measures with attributes that are categories
Categorical measure
Measures with attributes that are numbers
Continuous measure
All possible attributes are listed
Exhaustiveness
When a measure does not indicate the presence of a phenomenon, when in reality, it is present
False negative
When a measure indicates the presence of a phenomenon, when in reality, it is not present
False positive
A level of measurement that is continuous, can be rank ordered, is exhaustive and mutually exclusive, and for which the distance between attributes is known to be equal
Interval level
A question with wording that influences how a participant responds
Leading question
Ordinal measures that use numbers as a shorthand to indicate what attribute the person feels describes them best
Likert scales
A person cannot identify with two different attributes simultaneously
Mutual exclusivity
A level of measurement that is categorical and those categories can not be mathematically ranked, though they are exhaustive and mutually exclusive
Nominal level
Level of measurement that is categorical, those categories can be rank ordered, and they are exhaustive and mutually exclusive
Ordinal level
Unpredictable error that does not result in scores that are consistently higher or lower on a given measure
Random error
Level of measurement in which attributes are mutually exclusive and exhaustive, attributes can be rank ordered, the distance between attributes is equal, and attributes have a true zero point
Ratio level
When respondents answer based on what they think other people would like, rather than what is true
Social desirability bias
Measures consistently output incorrect data, usually in one direction and due to an identifiable process
Systematic error
Refers to a grouping of several characteristics
Variable
