Deck 4: Conceptualization and Measurement

Question 1

When the range of responses to a question cannot be adequately anticipated, ___ questions are preferable 4-6)

A)Observational
B)Closed-ended
C)Open-ended
D)Fixed-choice

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A variable has measurement validity when 4-15)

A)It can be reproduced
B)It measures what we think it does
C)It covers the full range of the concept's meaning
D)An inspection of the items used to measure it makes sense

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A mental image that summarizes a set of observations, feelings or ideas is a 4-2)

A)Definition
B)Variable
C)Concept
D)Subconcept

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Most surveys of a large number of people contain primarily closed-ended questions because 4-5)

A)The answers are easy to process with computers
B)Computers can easily be used to analyze statistics
C)The answers in closed-ended questions often obscure what people really think
D)Only A and B are correct

Question 5

When a researcher collects data about individuals or groups without their direct knowledge or participation, he/she is using which technique? 4-6)

A)Obtrusive measure
B)Inobtrusive measure
C)Unobtrusive measure
D)Operationalized measure

Question 6

The process of specifying what we mean by a term is known as 4-2)

A)Operationalization
B)Conceptualization
C)Devising operations
D)Defining it

Question 7

When an inspection of the items used to measure a concept suggests they are appropriate, the researcher can feel confident in the validity 4-16)

A)Construct
B)Criterion
C)Content
D)Face

Question 8

Observations can be used to measure characteristics of 4-6)

A)Individuals
B)Events
C)Places
D)All of the above

Question 9

An indicator of the variable "binge drinking" is an answer to a question such as 4-3

A)"What is your age?"
B)"Do you consider yourself to be poor?"
C)"How often within the past two weeks did you consume 5 or more alcoholic drinks in a row?"
D)None of the above

Question 10

This type of validity establishes that a measure covers the full range of the concept's meaning 4-16)

A)Construct
B)Criterion
C)Content
D)Face

Question 11

Operationalization is the process of 4-4)

A)A procedure for identifying or indicating the value of cases on a variable
B)The question or other operation used to indicate the value of a case on a variable
C)The use of rich and readily accessible sources of criminal justice data
D)Specifying the operations that will indicate the value of a variable for each case

Question 12

The use of multiple methods to study one research question is called 4-7)

A)Statistical divergence
B)Measurement interrelationship
C)Triangulation
D)Combination of operations

Question 13

"Compared with other campuses with which you are familiar, this campus's use of alcohol is … choose one): 1)Greater than for other campuses, 2)Less than for other campuses, 3)About the same as for other campuses." This is which type of question? 4-13)

A)Open-ended
B)Closed-ended
C)Exhaustive
D)Other

Question 14

Variables with only two values are known as 4-13)

A)Composites
B)Comparison
C)Anomalies
D)Dichotomies

Question 15

When people drink alcohol, the alcohol is absorbed into their bloodstream and is then gradually metabolized in their liver, which may be measured to determine their 'blood alcohol' level.This may be used as an indirect measure to validate self-reports about alcohol consumption during a certain period of time.This is an example of validity 4-16)

A)Criterion
B)Construct
C)Content
D)Face

Question 16

A question with no explicit responses choices is known as an)4-6)

A)Fixed-choice question
B)Closed ended question
C)Open-ended question
D)Unanswerable question

Question 17

When a respondent is offered explicit responses from which to choose an answer to a question, they are answering an)4-5)

A)Open-ended question
B)A poorly constructed question
C)A fixed-choice question
D)An observational question

Question 18

When constructing closed-ended questions, the response choices should be 4-5)

A)Open-ended
B)Mutually exclusive
C)Exhaustive
D)Both B and C are correct

Question 19

A variable's level of measurement has important implications for 4-8)

A)The type of mathematical precision with which the values of a variable can be expressed
B)The types of statistics that can be used with the variable
C)Both A and B are true
D)Neither A nor B are true

Question 20

Which of the following are unobtrusive measures identified by Webb, et al.? 4-6)

A)Physical trace evidence
B)Archives available data)
C)Simple Observation
D)All of the above

Question 21

The nominal level of measurement it also called the qualitative level.4-8)

Question 22

To determine the convergence between official incident records of inmate misconduct and self-reported offending, Steiner and Wooldredge 2014)also 4-7)

A)Conducted interviews of witnesses
B)Collected survey data from inmates
C)Collected official records for the same inmates in Ohio & Kentucky correctional institutions
D)Only B & C are correct

Question 23

How concepts are operationalized can affect findings.4-8)

Question 24

A variable at this level of measurement in which the numbers specify only ''greater than' and 'less than' distinctions is at the 4-9)

A)Nominal level of measurement
B)Ordinal level of measurement
C)Interval level of measurement
D)Ratio level of measurement

Question 25

Measurement of a variable in which the numbers indicate a variable's values represent fixed measurement units but with no absolute, fixed zero point are 4-11)

A)Nominal level of measurement
B)Ordinal level of measurement
C)Interval level of measurement
D)Ratio level of measurement

Question 26

Numbers indicating the values of a variable at the interval level of measurement have no absolute zero point.4-11)

Question 27

A variable measured that has fixed measuring units and an absolute zero point is 4-11)

A)Nominal level of measurement
B)Ordinal level of measurement
C)Interval level of measurement
D)Ratio level of measurement

Question 28

When a series of similar questions is used instead of one question to measure the same concept, it is known as 4-10)

A)A discrete measure
B)A scale or index
C)An indiscreet measure
D)An ordinal set of questions

Question 29

A variable's attributes or values are mutually exclusive if every case can have only one attribute.4-9)

Question 30

When constructing closed-ended questions, it is acceptable for some ambiguity in the response choices.4-5)

Question 31

A variable's attributes or values are exhaustive if every case can have only one attribute.4-9)

Question 32

If students are given arithmetic tests covering roughly the same information, this Friday and next Friday, and scored approximately the same on both tests, it is said to have 4-17)

A)Validity
B)Inter-item probability
C)Split-halves probability
D)Reliability

Question 33

A variable with no mathematical interpretation is at the 4-8)

A)Nominal level of measurement
B)Ordinal level of measurement
C)Interval level of measurement
D)Ratio level of measurement

Question 34

There are five levels of measurement.4-8)

Question 35

Consistency of ratings by an observer of an unchanging phenomenon at two or more points in time shows 4-19)

A)Interobserver reliability
B)Alternate-forms reliability
C)Split-halves reliability
D)Intra-observer reliability

Question 36

Available criminal justice data includes official data, such as 4-22)

A)Government statistics
B)U)S.Census Bureau statistics
C)Uniform Crime Reports
D)All of the above

Question 37

Systematic Social Observation SSO)is a strategy that increases the reliability of observational data by using explicit rules that standardize coding practices across observers.4-6)

Question 38

If answers given by the class to multiple questions in a self-report questionnaire are consistent then it can be said that they are 4-19)

A)Correct
B)Valid
C)Reliable
D)None of the above

Question 39

In the ordinal level of measurement, the numbers indicating the variable's value specify only the order of case permitting 'greater than' and 'less than' distinctions).4-9)

Question 40

Often when data is collected about individuals or groups without their direct knowledge, the researcher is using unobtrusive measures.4-6)

Question 41

Define and distinguish conceptualization.Give an example.4-2)

Question 42

The values of a variable at the ratio level of measurement have no absolute zero point.4-11)

Question 43

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of the four approaches to testing the validity of measures.

Question 44

Simply because a measure is reliable does not mean it has validity.4-19)

Question 45

An index is a composite measure based on summing, averaging, or otherwise combining the responses to multiple questions that are intended to measure the same variable; sometimes called a scale.

Question 46

Is it possible to achieve both reliability and validity? If so, how? 4-19)

Question 47

For most statistical analyses in social science research, the interval and ratio level of measurement can be treated as equivalent.4-12)

Question 48

What is the rationale for creating a multi-item index? What issues should a researcher be aware of when creating one? 4-18)

Question 49

A variable is a characteristic or property that can vary.4-8)

Question 50

When researchers test alternate-forms reliability, they divide the sample in half and administer two forms of the questions.4-18)

Question 51

If respondents to a questionnaire do not find at least one response category that fits their response they are likely to skip the question entirely.4-5)

Question 52

What are the four levels of measurement? Give examples of each.

Question 53

What is the difference between measurement validity and reliability? 4-20)

Question 54

What are the four approaches to testing the validity of measures?

Question 55

Define and distinguish operationalization.Give an example.4-3)

Question 56

What is an indicator? As part of your answer, give an example.4-3)

Question 57

Questioning can be a poor way to measure certain socially desirable behaviors so it may be useful to triangulate in order to strengthen the measure.4-7)

Question 58

Define the concept "youth gang." As discussed in the text, what difficulties might one confront in trying to appropriately define the concept? Why is it so important to define a concept precisely?

Question 59

A continuous measure has numbers indicating the values of variables as points on a continuum.4-12)

Question 60

Measurement validity exists when a measurement yields consistent scores or observations.4-15)

Question 61

What is Inter-Item reliability? What is the statistical measure that is often used to measure it?

Question 62

Is it possible to measure a variable using more than one level of measurement? How? When would that not work?

Question 63

What does "test-retest reliability" mean? Give an example.4-18)