Question 1

A researcher interested in measuring religiosity first defines the meaning and identifies possible dimensions of this concept. Which step in the measurement process does this represent?
A) conceptualization
B) validity assessment
C) operationalization
D) index construction

Accepted Answer

Conceptualization is the process of defining the meaning and identifying the dimensions of a concept.

Question 2

Sociologist Robert Blauner identified four dimensions of alienation: powerlessness, meaninglessness, isolation, and self-estrangement. Blauner's analysis represents one aspect of
A) conceptualization.
B) operationalization.
C) reliability assessment.
D) validation.

Accepted Answer

Blauner's analysis represents conceptualization, which involves defining and clarifying the meaning of concepts, in this case, the dimensions of alienation.

Question 3

A researcher interested in measuring religiosity decides to ask respondents how often they pray and how often they listen to religious programs on the radio. These questions represent the researcher's attempt to
A) provide a conceptual definition of the concept.
B) refine the meaning of the concept.
C) specify empirical indicators.
D) assess the quality of the researcher's operational definition.

Accepted Answer

The researcher is specifying empirical indicators by identifying measurable behaviors (praying and listening to religious programs) that represent the concept of religiosity.

Question 4

Which of the following is an empirical indicator of social capital?
A) good will, fellowship, and sympathy among the individuals that make up a social unit
B) the bonding and bridging of people with one another
C) the number of people individuals report that they can rely on in a time of need
D) the ability to accrue benefits through membership in social networks

Accepted Answer

The number of people individuals report that they can rely on in a time of need is a measurable, empirical indicator of social capital, reflecting the practical support available through social networks.

Question 5

Some sociologists define "formalization" as the extent of regulation in an organization. In one study this was indicated by the number of the following types of documents that organizations had created: written employment contracts, information booklets, an organization chart, written job descriptions, and a manual of procedures. The total count of documents is an example of
A) conceptualization.
B) operationalization.
C) reliability assessment.
D) validity assessment.

Accepted Answer

Operationalization refers to the process of defining a concept in measurable terms, such as counting specific types of documents to measure the extent of formalization in an organization.

Question 6

Which of the following is an empirical indicator of alienation?
A) a feeling of estrangement from a situation, group, or culture
B) the inability to control one's immediate work processes
C) lack of a sense of purpose that connects one's job to the overall organization of production
D) whether an individual agrees with the statement "I am often left out of things going on around me"

Accepted Answer

The inability to control one's immediate work processes is an empirical indicator of alienation because it is a measurable and observable characteristic that is associated with feelings of estrangement, lack of purpose, and isolation.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of an operational definition?
A) fear of crime: a series of complex changes in bodily functioning that alerts an individual to potential danger
B) life satisfaction: relatively stable assessment of how well people's lives match their expectations
C) mastery: people's sense of control over their environment
D) social isolation: the breakdown of social relations that provide meaning and social support
E) criminal activity: the number of crimes reported to the police per 1,000 population in the city or town where a respondent resides

Accepted Answer

An operational definition is a clear, concise detailed definition of a measure. The purpose of an operational definition is to define a concept or variable in terms of the specific processes or set of validation tests used to determine its presence and quantity. Operational definitions are used to ensure that anyone reading a study can understand exactly how and what researchers measured in their study.
Among the options provided:
a. Fear of crime: This is a conceptual definition describing what fear of crime might feel like or involve, but it does not specify how to measure it operationally.
b. Life satisfaction: This is also a conceptual definition that describes what life satisfaction is in general terms but does not provide a specific way to measure it.
c. Mastery: This option describes what mastery means but does not offer an operational definition that would allow for measurement.
d. Social isolation: This is a description of what social isolation might entail but does not provide a specific operational definition for measurement.
e. Criminal activity: This option provides a specific way to measure criminal activity, namely, "the number of crimes reported to the police per 1,000 population in the city or town where a respondent resides." This is an operational definition because it specifies exactly how criminal activity is to be quantified and measured.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
e. Criminal activity: the number of crimes reported to the police per 1,000 population in the city or town where a respondent resides.

Question 8

In social measurement, indicator is to index/scale as __________ is to __________.
A) measured; manipulated
B) one questionnaire item; two or more items
C) observation; verbal reports
D) reliable; unreliable

Accepted Answer

Indicator is a single measure that represents a concept, while an index/scale is a composite measure that combines multiple indicators. Similarly, one questionnaire item is a single question that measures a concept, while two or more items are a set of questions that measure the same concept.

Question 9

Manipulation operations are used most commonly in
A) experiments.
B) surveys.
C) qualitative field research.
D) the analysis of existing data.

Accepted Answer

Manipulation operations are most commonly used in experiments where variables are controlled and manipulated to observe their effects on other variables.

Question 10

In Tilcsik's experimental study of job discrimination against gay men, what type of operational definition did he use to measure "employment discrimination"?
A) manipulation operations
B) verbal report
C) observation
D) archival records

Accepted Answer

Tilcsik's study used observation as the operational definition by sending out resumes with subtle cues about the applicant's sexual orientation and observing the response rates from employers.

Question 11

In selecting or creating an operational definition of a concept, the textbook suggests all of the following guidelines except
A) carefully consider the theory in which the concept is embedded.
B) use more than one indicator to measure complex concepts.
C) select an operational definition that captures the meaning of the concept.
D) begin by identifying empirical indicators of the concept.
E) use quantitative measures whenever possible.

Accepted Answer

The textbook suggests using operational definitions that are appropriate for the concept and context, not necessarily prioritizing quantitative measures.

Question 12

A variable's level of measurement indicates the
A) number of questions used to measure the variable.
B) number of variable categories.
C) kinds of comparisons that can be made between cases in different variable categories.
D) degree of correspondence between conceptual and operational definitions.

Accepted Answer

The level of measurement of a variable determines the types of comparisons and statistical analyses that can be performed, such as nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio, which dictate how data can be compared and interpreted.

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of nominal-level measurement?
A) family size (number of children in a family)
B) political participation (number of times voted in the last 10 civic elections)
C) educational attainment (highest year or grade in school completed)
D) political party affiliation (Republican/Democrat/Independent/Other/None)
E) religiosity (whether one attends religious services frequently, occasionally, or never)

Accepted Answer

Nominal-level measurement categorizes data without a specific order. Political party affiliation is a nominal variable as it classifies individuals into categories without any inherent ranking.

Question 14

Suppose a researcher uses the following set of categories to measure employment status: working full-time; working part-time; in school. This set of categories is
A) exhaustive but not mutually exclusive.
B) mutually exclusive but not exhaustive.
C) both exhaustive and mutually exclusive.
D) neither exhaustive nor mutually exclusive.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose a researcher uses the following set...

Question 15

A survey question measuring frequency of exercise asks respondents, "On how many of the past 7 days did you exercise or participate in sports activities?" The answer categories are 0, 1 - 3, 3 - 5, 5 or more. This set of categories is
A) exhaustive but not mutually exclusive.
B) mutually exclusive but not exhaustive.
C) both exhaustive and mutually exclusive.
D) neither exhaustive nor mutually exclusive.

Accepted Answer

The categories overlap (1-3 and 3-5), making them not mutually exclusive, but they cover all possible responses, making them exhaustive.

Question 16

As a measure of religiosity, a researcher asks, "How important would you say religion is in your own life? Is it very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not at all important?" This is an example of __________-level measurement.
A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio

Accepted Answer

The question measures religiosity using an ordinal scale, as it ranks the importance of religion in a person's life in ordered categories without assuming equal intervals between them.

Question 17

A measure of attendance at religious services asks respondents to place themselves in one of the following categories: every week, two to three times a month, once a month, less than once a month. Which level of measurement is this?
A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio

Accepted Answer

The categories have a meaningful order (from more frequent to less frequent attendance), but the differences between them are not quantifiable, making it an ordinal level of measurement.

Question 18

Suppose we measured length of residence by asking people, "How many years have you lived at your present address?" This constitutes __________-level measurement.
A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio

Accepted Answer

Ratio-level measurement is used here because the length of residence is a quantitative measure with a true zero point, allowing for meaningful comparisons and calculations of ratios.

Question 19

The GSS measure of television viewing asks, "On the average day, about how many hours do you personally watch television?" Which level of measurement is this?
A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio

Accepted Answer

The measure of television viewing is at the ratio level because it involves numerical values with a true zero point, allowing for meaningful comparisons of differences and ratios.

Question 20

If you measured age by calculating the difference between the year a respondent was interviewed and the year the respondent was born, then your level of measurement would be __________; if you measured age by placing people in one of four categories (18 and under, 19-39, 40-59, 60 and over), then your level of measurement would be __________.
A) ratio; ratio
B) ratio; interval
C) ratio; ordinal
D) ordinal; ordinal

Accepted Answer

The first method provides a ratio level of measurement because age is a continuous variable with a true zero point. The second method is ordinal because it categorizes age into ordered groups without a true zero point.

Quiz 5: Measurement

A researcher interested in measuring religiosity first defines the meaning and identifies possible dimensions of this concept. Which step in the measurement process does this represent?

Sociologist Robert Blauner identified four dimensions of alienation: powerlessness, meaninglessness, isolation, and self-estrangement. Blauner's analysis represents one aspect of

A researcher interested in measuring religiosity decides to ask respondents how often they pray and how often they listen to religious programs on the radio. These questions represent the researcher's attempt to

Which of the following is an empirical indicator of social capital?

Which of the following is an empirical indicator of alienation?

Which of the following is an example of an operational definition?

In social measurement, indicator is to index/scale as is to .

Manipulation operations are used most commonly in

In Tilcsik's experimental study of job discrimination against gay men, what type of operational definition did he use to measure "employment discrimination"?

In selecting or creating an operational definition of a concept, the textbook suggests all of the following guidelines except

A variable's level of measurement indicates the

Which of the following is an example of nominal-level measurement?

Suppose a researcher uses the following set of categories to measure employment status: working full-time; working part-time; in school. This set of categories is

A survey question measuring frequency of exercise asks respondents, "On how many of the past 7 days did you exercise or participate in sports activities?" The answer categories are 0, 1 - 3, 3 - 5, 5 or more. This set of categories is

As a measure of religiosity, a researcher asks, "How important would you say religion is in your own life? Is it very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not at all important?" This is an example of __________-level measurement.

A measure of attendance at religious services asks respondents to place themselves in one of the following categories: every week, two to three times a month, once a month, less than once a month. Which level of measurement is this?

Suppose we measured length of residence by asking people, "How many years have you lived at your present address?" This constitutes __________-level measurement.

The GSS measure of television viewing asks, "On the average day, about how many hours do you personally watch television?" Which level of measurement is this?