Deck 6: Qualitative and Quantitative Measurement

Question 1

How does standardization make comparisons easier?

Answer 1

Standardization involves selecting a base and dividing a raw measure by the base.It makes comparisons easier because it makes it possible to compare different units on a common base/denominator.The process of standardization removes the effect of relevant but different characteristics in order to make the important differences visible.
A critical question in standardization is deciding which base to use.The choice is not always obvious;it depends on the theoretical definition of the construct.Different conceptualizations suggest different bases and different ways to standardize.When combining several items into an index,it is best to standardize items on a common base.

Question 2

Identify and explain the four ways social scientific researchers may increase the reliability of measures.

Answer 2

A scale,like an index,is an ordinal,interval,or ratio measure of a variable expressed as a numerical score.Scales are common in situations where a researcher wants to measure how an individual feels or thinks about something.They are based on the idea of measuring the intensity,hardness,or potency of a variable.
Scales are used for two related purposes.First,they help in the conceptualization and operationalization processes.Scales show the fit between a set of indicators and a single construct.Second,scaling produces quantitative measures and can be used with other variables to test hypotheses.This second purpose is a primary focus because it involves the scale as a tool for measuring variables.
An index is a combination of items into a single numerical score.Various components or subparts of a construct are each measured,then combined into one measure.There are many types of indices.For example,indices may measure the most desirable place to live,the degree of crime,or the mental health of a person.

Question 3

How do reliability and validity differ? How do they complement each other? Can a measure be reliable but invalid? How?

Answer 3

Reliability means dependability or consistency.It suggests that the same thing is repeated or recurs under the identical or very similar conditions.The opposite of reliability is a measurement that yields erratic,unstable,or inconsistent results.
Validity suggests truthfulness and refers to the match between a construct,or the way a researcher conceptualizes the idea in a conceptual definition,and a measure.It refers to how well an idea about reality “fits”with actual reality.
Reliability is necessary for validity and is easier to achieve than validity.Although reliability is necessary in order to have a valid measure of a concept,it does not guarantee that a measure will be valid.It is not a sufficient condition for validity.A measure can produce the same result over and over (i.e.,it has reliability),but what it measures may not match the definition of the construct (i.e.,validity).
A measure can be reliable but invalid.For example,you can get on a scale and get weighed.The weight registered by the scale is the same each time you get on and off.But then you go to another scale-an “official”one that measures True weight-and it says that your weight is twice as great.The first scale yielded reliable (i.e.,dependable and consistent)results,but it did not give a valid measure of your weight.

Question 4

Name the levels of measurement and explain how they differ.Give examples.

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of a continuous variable?

A)Income bracket
B)Temperature measured in degrees Fahrenheit
C)Religious identification
D)Gender
E)Socioeconomic status

Question 6

Undergraduate student Millie Magnificent developed a way to measure sexist attitudes.It worked such that a person with a score of zero truly had a neutral attitude.Also,a person who had a score of 50 had exactly double the score of someone with a score of 25.She created a(n)

A)nominal variable.
B)interval variable.
C)ratio variable.
D)ordinal variable.
E)none of the above.

Question 7

How do qualitative and quantitative ideas about validity differ?

Question 8

Professor Leon Loopy's survey question asked students to indicate their class standing as one of the following: first year,second year,third year,fourth year,or graduate.He measured the variable at what level of measurement?

A)Nominal
B)Ordinal
C)Interval
D)Ratio
E)None of the above

Question 9

How does a researcher use the conceptual definition of a construct in operationalization and conceptualization?

Question 10

During the conceptualization process,a quantitative researcher should

A)look for multiple dimensions of a construct.
B)ignore definitions of other scientists,because it creates confusion.
C)avoid thinking about measuring the concept.
D)use vague,general definitions to protect a definition from criticism.
E)include a mix of unrelated ideas in his or her definition.

Question 11

A social researcher takes an abstract idea and develops a clear conceptual definition for it.This is called

A)androtempration.
B)conceptualization.
C)operationalization.
D)replication.
E)triangulation.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT measured at a higher level than the nominal level?

A)Temperature
B)Student grades
C)Personal income in a year
D)Religious affiliation
E)The number of members in a club

Question 13

What are the main distinctions between qualitative and quantitative approaches to measurement?

Question 14

What are the differences among face,content,and criterion validity?

Question 15

Which sequence illustrates the progression of quantitative measurement steps?

A)Conceptualization,conceptual definition,operational definition,and measurement in the empirical world
B)Conceptual definition,conceptualization,operational definition,and measurement in the empirical world
C)Operational definition,conceptualization,conceptual definition,and measurement in the empirical world
D)Conceptual definition,operationalization,conceptualization,and empirical world measurement
E)Conceptualization,operationalization,conceptual definition,and empirical world measurement

Question 16

Create three example items,using the Likert Scale,that have mutually exclusive and exhaustive categories and no problem with the response set.

Question 17

Which one of the following is FALSE?

A)Ordinal measures have the properties of interval measures.
B)Interval measures have the properties of nominal measures.
C)Ratio measures have the properties of ordinal measures.
D)Ordinal measures have the properties of nominal measures.
E)All are true.

Question 18

Professor Helga Hightower developed a new measure of intelligence.She then tested two groups of people.One group scored low on existing IQ tests.The other scored very high.Those who scored low on old tests usually scored low on her new test;those who scored very high on old tests usually scored high on the new test.Her new measure has

A)concurrent validity.
B)face validity.
C)content validity.
D)internal validity.
E)statistical validity.

Question 19

Most social scientists do not accept a person's height in centimetres and millimetres as a measure of her or his intelligence because it lacks

A)precision.
B)reliability.
C)accuracy.
D)validity.
E)all of the above.

Question 20

Identify and explain the four ways social scientific researchers may increase the reliability of measures.

Question 21

Dr.Aaron Adamson uses telephone surveys to measure life satisfaction across Canada.When Dr.Adamson and his research assistants phone participants,they ask them to report responses to questions by indicating whether they "strongly agree," "agree," "strongly disagree," or "disagree." Which of the following is he using?

A)Standard scale
B)An index
C)Graphic rating scale
D)Likert scale
E)None of the above

Question 22

Which of the following statements about the role of a conceptual definition in variable measurement is true?

A)Value judgments never play a role.
B)There is agreement among researchers about the single best definition for all concepts,and we just have to find it.
C)Good definitions are ones that are explicit and clear.
D)Never provide an example for a definition.
E)Conceptual definitions should never contain multiple dimensions.

Question 23

Professor Richard Rockabilly developed a measure of an ideal rock group.He added together ratings of six factors: clear beat in music,on-stage performance excitement,new electronic sound,dress and appearance of performers,distinctiveness of sound,and degree to which lyrics were relevant.He rated 25 groups on the six factors to get an overall measure of each rock group.He created a(n)

A)index.
B)scale.
C)measure of central tendency.
D)statistic.
E)item analysis.

Question 24

What level of measurement is being used in the statement,"A fox terrier is smaller than a Russian wolfhound,but bigger than a Chihuahua."

A)Nominal
B)Ordinal
C)Internal
D)Ratio
E)None of the above

Question 25

What is the problem with this measure of university student age? Please indicate your age:(i)17 to 18 years old
(ii)19 to 20 years old
(iii)21 to 22 years olda.Its attributes are mutually exclusive.
B)Its attributes are not exhaustive.
C)Its attributes are exhaustive.
D)Its attributes are double-barrelled.
E)There is nothing wrong with it.

Question 26

Which of the following is measured at the ordinal level?

A)George weighs the same as Harry.
B)Mary weighs less than Janet.
C)Martha weighs 8 pounds more than Ruth.
D)Sam weighs twice as much as his dog.
E)Henry and Charlie weigh 150 lbs.

Question 27

Dr.Jim Jennings studies the relationship between age and levels of activity.Jim measures levels of activity by documenting the number of steps his subjects take each day.What has Jim done by creating this measure of activity levels?

A)Conceptualized an operation
B)Standardized a variable
C)Operationalized a concept
D)Operationalized a definition
E)None of the above

Question 28

Mildred Magnificent got on the scale at 7:00 a.m.and weighed 295 pounds.At 7:02 a.m.she again got on the scale and weighed 200 pounds.At 7:04 a.m.she weighed 499 pounds.The measurement of Mildred's weight has problems with

A)reliability.
B)induction.
C)standardization
D)conceptualization.
E)precision.

Question 29

What level of measurement is the Likert scale appropriate for measuring?

A)Nominal
B)Ordinal
C)Interval
D)Ratio
E)none of the above.

Question 30

Professor Tak Tanaka developed a new measure of fear of crime.His conceptual definition was this: "The degree of emotional,behavioural,or mental response to a real or imagined theft of property or attack on one's person or family members." He then developed one question for a survey to measure his concept: "Do you lock your car doors when you park to go shopping?" What is the major problem with his measure?

A)Reliability
B)Content validity
C)Face validity
D)Internal validity
E)Representative validity

Question 31

Professor Ethan Enright developed a measure of an ideal place to live.He added together measures of many factors: tax rate,quality of school system,cultural and recreational opportunities,pollution,traffic congestion,crime rate,and health-care availability for 50 Canadian cities to get a score for each.Dr.Enright created a(n)

A)index.
B)scale.
C)measure of central tendency.
D)statistic.
E)item analysis.

Question 32

Which of the following lists contains all variables?

A)Female,Catholic,educational level
B)Accountant,professor,carpenter
C)Occupation,number of children,rate of divorce
D)21 years old,married,middle class
E)Frequency of attending religious services,Chinese ethnicity,farmer

Question 33

Use the letters marking parts of the diagram of the measurement process to identify the following part: Operational definition of the dependent variable.  

A)F
B)G
C)K
D)J
E)L

Question 34

Which sort of hypothesis are researchers interested in testing at the level of operational definitions?

A)Grounded
B)Variable
C)Conceptual
D)Empirical
E)Abstract

Question 35

Patrick Paddywagon,owner of the Paddywagon Automobile Supermarket,wanted to find out the kinds of cars he should push to graduating college students.He asked 100 university seniors to rate 10 aspects of 11 models his dealership sold: style,fuel economy,engineering,safety,performance,prestige,comfort,price,selection or options,and interior size.Each car was rated on the 10 aspects from 0 (poor)to 5 (excellent).Each student also rated the importance of each aspect (1 = unimportant,2 = moderate importance,3 = very important).Then each aspect rating was weighed (multiplied)by its importance rating.Next,everything was added together for a score.Each car received a score of 0 to 150.What measurement technique did Patrick use in his study?

A)Interval measure
B)Graphic rating scale
C)Likert scale
D)Predictive scale
E)An index

Question 36

Qualitative researchers do not place the same emphasis on reliability as quantitative researchers do.What do qualitative researchers aspire to that is similar to reliability?

A)Credibility
B)Truthfulness
C)Validity
D)Transferability
E)Consistency

Question 37

Which of the following concepts pertains to the fit between conceptual and operational definitions?

A)Measurement validity
B)Statistical validity
C)Interval measures
D)Standardization
E)Reliability

Question 38

The two subtypes of criterion validity are __________ validity and __________ validity.

A)content;predictive
B)face;content
C)concurrent;predictive
D)internal;external
E)concurrent;measurement

Question 39

When a researcher seeks to validate a measure by comparing it with a "tried and true" pre-existing measure,this type of validity is called

A)face.
B)predictive.
C)criterion.
D)concurrent.
E)content.

Question 40

Which type of measurement validity is the easiest to achieve?

A)Concurrent
B)Face
C)Content
D)Criterion
E)Predictive

Question 41

Define the following:dependability

Question 42

Define the following:credibility

Question 43

Define the following:conceptualization

Question 44

For quantitative researchers,validity means truthfulness.It refers to the bridge between a concept and the data.Qualitative researchers are also concerned with truthfulness,but do not discuss it in terms of "validity." What term do qualitative researchers use to discuss the truth-value of their research?

A)Accuracy
B)Authenticity
C)Consistency
D)Reliability
E)Standardization

Question 45

Define the following:conceptual definition

Question 46

Define the following:external validity

Question 47

Define the following:conceptual hypothesis

Question 48

Use the letters marking parts of the diagram of the measurement process to identify the following part: Empirical hypothesis.

A)L
B)B
C)H
D)G
E)C

Question 49

Define the following:content validity

Question 50

When comparing qualitative and a quantitative approaches to measurement,operationalization in the qualitative approach involves which of the following?

A)More of an “after-the-fact”description based on what was observed in the data than based on a preplanned idea
B)A researcher taking a carefully developed theoretical definition and developing specific empirical indicators of it for use when later gathering data
C)A process that comes after careful conceptualization;operationalization never comes before careful conceptualization in qualitative research
D)There is no difference between qualitative and quantitative operationalization.
E)There is no operationalization in qualitative research.

Question 51

Use the letters marking parts of the diagram of the measurement process to identify the following parts: Conceptual definition of the dependent variable.

A)K
B)G
C)B
D)A
E)C

Question 52

Define the following:exhaustive attributes

Question 53

Define the following:continuous variables

Question 54

Define the following:criterion validity

Question 55

Define the following:concurrent validity

Question 56

Define the following:empirical hypothesis

Question 57

Define the following:authenticity

Question 58

Use the letters marking parts of the diagram of the measurement process to identify the following part: Conceptualization of the dependent variable.

A)E
B)I
C)H
D)D
E)F

Question 59

Define the following:discrete variables

Question 60

Minako Wada,a graduate student in sociology,considers herself to be an atheist.She is asked to complete a survey on international students' experiences in Canada.The question on religious affiliation asks participants to identify their religious affiliation and includes the following categories:

A)Catholic
B)Protestant
C)Jewish
D)Muslim
E)Hindu
F)Buddhist
G)Shinto

Question 61

Define the following:operationalization

Question 62

Define the following:Likert scale

Question 63

Define the following:predictive validity

Question 64

Define the following:nominal-level measurement

Question 65

Define the following:standardization

Question 66

Define the following:transferability

Question 67

Define the following:internal validity

Question 68

Define the following:statistical validity

Question 69

Define the following:face validity

Question 70

Define the following:scale

Question 71

Define the following:ordinal-level measurement

Question 72

Define the following:interval-level measurement

Question 73

Define the following:multiple indicators

Question 74

Define the following:reliability

Question 75

Define the following:measurement validity

Question 76

Define the following:index

Question 77

Define the following:ratio-level measurement

Question 78

Define the following:operational definition

Question 79

Define the following:mutually exclusive attributes

Question 80

Define the following:levels of measurement