Question 1

A student finds a tool that measures adaptability and wants to use it for the student's master's thesis. The tool has 25 items, and they are all of the ordinal level, scaled 0 through 5. The authors of the tool, all pragmatists, are most likely to identify which level of measurement for this tool?

Accepted Answer

B

Question 2

What is the purpose of determining an instrument's internal consistency?

Accepted Answer

D

Question 3

Specificity of an instrument used for diagnosis refers to what?

Accepted Answer

Specificity refers to an instrument's ability to correctly identify those without the condition or illness, meaning it measures the proportion of actual negatives that are correctly identified as such.

Question 4

Inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria in sample selection are mutually exclusive and mutually exhaustive. A researcher has a list of all of the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria. These then must be sorted into an inclusion list and an exclusion list. How is this method of sorting best classified?

Accepted Answer

Inclusion and exclusion criteria are mutually exclusive and mutually exhaustive, meaning that they cover all possible cases. This makes them a nominal scale, which is a type of categorical scale that assigns values to categories.

Question 5

Which statements are true, relative to systematic error?

Accepted Answer

Systematic error is consistent and predictable, so if the amount is known, true scores can be adjusted (A). Proper calibration can reduce systematic error (B). It causes measurements to consistently deviate in one direction (C). It affects the mean but not the variance's relative magnitude (E). Researcher fatigue or inattention typically causes random error, not systematic error (D).

Question 6

What kind of reliability testing involves examining the consistency of scores between two forms of the same measure or instrument or two observers measuring the same event?

Accepted Answer

Equivalence reliability refers to the consistency of scores between two forms of the same measure or instrument or between two observers measuring the same event, ensuring that different versions or observers yield similar results.

Question 7

Which is the highest form of measurement?

Accepted Answer

Ratio level of measurement is the highest because it possesses a natural zero point and allows for the comparison of absolute magnitudes of the numbers.

Question 8

A new and very short survey instrument is developed. It is to be used instead of a previously validated instrument that is very long to administer. What kind of validity concept will be used for testing this new tool?

Accepted Answer

Convergent validity is used to test if two measures that are supposed to be measuring the same construct are indeed related. In this case, the new short survey instrument is intended to measure the same construct as the previously validated long instrument, so convergent validity would be the appropriate concept to test the new tool's validity.

Question 9

Which items are examples of indirect measurement?

Accepted Answer

Self-report of physical activity, hope, and depression are all examples of indirect measurement because they are not directly observable.

Question 10

A shepherd in the wilds of eastern Nevada is counting the sheep, at the end of a work day. What is another term for what the shepherd is doing?

Accepted Answer

The shepherd is measuring the number of sheep, as measuring involves determining the size, amount, or degree of something by using an instrument or device marked in standard units or by making a comparison with a standard.

Question 11

Which one of these instructions to the research subject will provide the highest possible level of measurement?

Accepted Answer

Option C, asking for the exact amount of income before taxes, provides the highest level of measurement (ratio level) because it allows for precise quantification and the comparison of differences, including the true zero point.

Question 12

Depression is measured by the Beck Depression Inventory, which adds up scores from 21 items to provide a total value ranging from 0 to 63. What level of measurement is this?

Accepted Answer

The Beck Depression Inventory uses an interval level of measurement because it provides a total score that represents the degree of depression, with equal intervals between scores, but it does not have a true zero point.

Question 13

Why would interrater reliability be measured in research?

Accepted Answer

Interrater reliability is measured to ensure consistency across different observers or raters when they are observing and classifying behavior, ensuring that the observations are reliable regardless of who is making them.

Question 14

A band is in on a multicity tour, and souvenir shirts are ordered from a factory. The shirts are shipped without the size labels. The vendor must then sort them into sizes-apparently they are small, medium, large, extra-large, and extra-extra-large. What level of measurement is this?

Accepted Answer

The sizes of the shirts (small, medium, large, extra-large, and extra-extra-large) represent an ordinal level of measurement because they can be ordered or ranked, but the differences between each size are not necessarily consistent.

Question 15

Tests of stability reliability, such as test-retest, can reveal random measurement error. Why is systematic measurement error not revealed when stability reliability determinations are made?

Accepted Answer

Systematic measurement error remains consistent across different instances of measurement, such as measuring blood pressure consistently higher. In stability reliability tests like test-retest, if the error is systematic (consistent across both tests), it will not be revealed because the error does not vary between tests; the instrument's bias remains the same, leading to consistent results across measurements.

Question 16

A secretary in a veterinarian's office keeps track of how many animals come in for care in a week's time and what types of animals they are: cat, dog, horse, gerbil, duck, snake, and so forth. What level of measurement is this?

Accepted Answer

The level of measurement is nominal because it involves categorizing or naming types of animals without implying any sort of ranking or specific order among them.

Question 17

Which of the statements is true, relative to error?

Accepted Answer

- A) This is a fundamental concept in measurement theory, where the observed score is considered the sum of the true score and the error score.- C) When there is no systematic error, the average of the observed measurements should equal the average of the true measurements, as random errors would cancel out over a large number of observations.- E) Measurement error is considered inevitable in most cases, even in seemingly straightforward tasks like counting, due to factors like human error or instrument inaccuracy.

Question 18

Mark is in third grade and has just learned how to use a ruler to measure. He has become a measuring fool. He measures everything in the house, writing down all the measurements, and gaily announcing to his mom, "Hey, Mom. Guess what? The salt shaker is four and a quarter inches tall." What level of measurement is this?

Accepted Answer

Ratio level of measurement is used here because it involves numerical measurements with a meaningful zero point, allowing for the comparison of absolute magnitudes. In this case, the height of the salt shaker is measured in inches, which is a ratio scale since it includes a zero point indicating no height, and allows for comparisons such as "twice as tall."

Question 19

A researcher is developing a tool to measure predelinquent behaviors in preadolescence. The researcher has already reviewed the literature, gathered qualitative data from experts, pilot-tested hundreds of predelinquent preadolescents, and analyzed the findings. It is clear that the tool actually measures what it is supposed to measure. This reflects the tool's:

Accepted Answer

The tool's ability to measure what it is supposed to measure indicates its validity. Validity refers to the accuracy of a tool in assessing the intended variable or concept.

Question 20

Interval scales of measurement (IQ tests, anxiety inventories, mental status examinations) are products of man's invention how frequently?

Accepted Answer

Interval scales of measurement, such as IQ tests, anxiety inventories, and mental status examinations, are always products of human invention. These scales are designed and developed by researchers and psychologists to measure various psychological traits and states, and they do not exist naturally.

Quiz 16: Quantitative Measurement Concepts