Question 1

There is almost always an imperfect correspondence between conceptual and operational definitions.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 2

Manipulation operations are used most commonly in

Accepted Answer

A)  experiments. 
B)  surveys. 
C)  qualitative field research. 
D)  the analysis of existing data. 
A)  experiments. 
B)  surveys. 
C)  qualitative field research. 
D)  the analysis of existing data. A

Question 3

A near-perfect correlation between a measure of romantic love and a measure of liking suggests that the measure of romantic love

Accepted Answer

A)  is reliable. 
B)  is internally consistent. 
C)  lacks discriminant validity. 
D)  lacks convergent validity. 
A)  is reliable. 
B)  is internally consistent. 
C)  lacks discriminant validity. 
D)  lacks convergent validity. C

Question 4

Reliability assessment is a matter of checking for consistency.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Operational definitions may be manipulated or measured.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

A)  exhaustive but not mutually exclusive. 
B)  mutually exclusive but not exhaustive. 
C)  both exhaustive and mutually exclusive. 
D)  neither exhaustive nor mutually exclusive. 
A)  exhaustive but not mutually exclusive. 
B)  mutually exclusive but not exhaustive. 
C)  both exhaustive and mutually exclusive. 
D)  neither exhaustive nor mutually exclusive.

Question 7

Levels of measurement indicate the inferences that can be drawn when comparing one category or value of a variable with another: Do they differ? Is one ranked higher than the other? What is the numerical difference? What is the ratio of the values? Identify the four levels of measurement. Then, for each level describe the inferences that can be made when comparing units (e.g., people) who are in different variable categories.

Accepted Answer

The four levels of measurement are nomin

Question 8

It is possible for a measure to be reliable but invalid.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

A variable's level of measurement indicates the

Accepted Answer

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. 
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.

Question 10

Suppose that a large company administers a new employment test to fifty applicants for the position of clerk-typist. All fifty are hired, and then, after nine months on the job, are rated on their job performance by their supervisors. Correlating test scores with supervisor ratings is an attempt to assess the test's

Accepted Answer

A)  test-retest reliability. 
B)  internal consistency reliability. 
C)  criterion-related validity. 
D)  construct validity. 
A)  test-retest reliability. 
B)  internal consistency reliability. 
C)  criterion-related validity. 
D)  construct validity.

Question 11

Systematic measurement error tends to lower reliability.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

A)  conceptualization. 
B)  operationalization. 
C)  reliability assessment. 
D)  validation. 
A)  conceptualization. 
B)  operationalization. 
C)  reliability assessment. 
D)  validation.

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

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 
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

Question 14

Reliability assessment is a matter of checking for __________, whereas validity assessment is a matter of determining the degree of __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  accuracy; consistency 
B)  consistency; accuracy 
C)  reactivity; similarity 
D)  accuracy; similarity 
A)  accuracy; consistency 
B)  consistency; accuracy 
C)  reactivity; similarity 
D)  accuracy; similarity

Question 15

Systematic error would be least likely to occur with which of the following measures?

Accepted Answer

A)  a miscalibrated yardstick that is an inch short 
B)  an IQ test developed for English-speaking U.S. citizens that is administered to French Canadians 
C)  a question measuring child abuse that asks, "How often do you hit your child when she doesn't obey you?" 
D)  scores on the multiple choice portion of this exam 
E)  reports of gambling winnings on IRS tax returns 
A)  a miscalibrated yardstick that is an inch short 
B)  an IQ test developed for English-speaking U.S. citizens that is administered to French Canadians 
C)  a question measuring child abuse that asks, "How often do you hit your child when she doesn't obey you?" 
D)  scores on the multiple choice portion of this exam 
E)  reports of gambling winnings on IRS tax returns

Question 16

The social desirability effect refers to

Accepted Answer

A)  class differences in happiness and mental health. 
B)  respondents' tendency to give answers that project a positive self-image. 
C)  the tendency to agree with a statement regardless of its content. 
D)  higher response rates obtained by pleasant than unpleasant interviewers. 
A)  class differences in happiness and mental health. 
B)  respondents' tendency to give answers that project a positive self-image. 
C)  the tendency to agree with a statement regardless of its content. 
D)  higher response rates obtained by pleasant than unpleasant interviewers.

Question 17

Explain how the text's example of a recipe for carrot cake illustrates an operational definition in social research. What are the recipe ingredients analogous to in social measurement? What do the steps for combining ingredients and baking the cake illustrate about an operational definition?

Accepted Answer

The example of a recipe for carrot cake

Question 18

Which of the following combinations is possible?

Accepted Answer

A)  low random error; low reliability 
B)  high random error; high reliability 
C)  low random error; low validity 
D)  high random error; high validity 
A)  low random error; low reliability 
B)  high random error; high reliability 
C)  low random error; low validity 
D)  high random error; high validity

Question 19

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.

Accepted Answer

A)  nominal 
B)  ordinal 
C)  interval 
D)  ratio 
A)  nominal 
B)  ordinal 
C)  interval 
D)  ratio

Question 20

Explain the difference between criterion-related validity and construct validity. What type of evidence does each method use to validate measures?

Accepted Answer

Criterion-related validity and construct

There is almost always an imperfect correspondence between conceptual and operational definitions.

Manipulation operations are used most commonly in

A near-perfect correlation between a measure of romantic love and a measure of liking suggests that the measure of romantic love

Reliability assessment is a matter of checking for consistency.

Operational definitions may be manipulated or measured.

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

It is possible for a measure to be reliable but invalid.

A variable's level of measurement indicates the

Systematic measurement error tends to lower reliability.

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

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

Reliability assessment is a matter of checking for , whereas validity assessment is a matter of determining the degree of .

Systematic error would be least likely to occur with which of the following measures?

The social desirability effect refers to

Explain how the text's example of a recipe for carrot cake illustrates an operational definition in social research. What are the recipe ingredients analogous to in social measurement? What do the steps for combining ingredients and baking the cake illustrate about an operational definition?

Which of the following combinations is possible?

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.

Explain the difference between criterion-related validity and construct validity. What type of evidence does each method use to validate measures?

Introduction

The Nature of Science

Research Ethics

Elements of Research Design

Sampling

Experimentation

Experimental Designs

Survey Research

Survey Instrumentation

Field Research

Research Using Available Data

Multiple Methods

Data Processing and Elementary Data Analysis

Multivariate Analysis

Writing Research Reports

Filters

Exam 5: Measurement

There is almost always an imperfect correspondence between conceptual and operational definitions.

Manipulation operations are used most commonly in

A near-perfect correlation between a measure of romantic love and a measure of liking suggests that the measure of romantic love

Reliability assessment is a matter of checking for consistency.

Operational definitions may be manipulated or measured.

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

It is possible for a measure to be reliable but invalid.

A variable's level of measurement indicates the

Systematic measurement error tends to lower reliability.

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

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

Reliability assessment is a matter of checking for __________, whereas validity assessment is a matter of determining the degree of __________.

Systematic error would be least likely to occur with which of the following measures?

The social desirability effect refers to

Explain how the text's example of a recipe for carrot cake illustrates an operational definition in social research. What are the recipe ingredients analogous to in social measurement? What do the steps for combining ingredients and baking the cake illustrate about an operational definition?

Which of the following combinations is possible?

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.

Explain the difference between criterion-related validity and construct validity. What type of evidence does each method use to validate measures?

Introduction

The Nature of Science

Research Ethics

Elements of Research Design

Sampling

Experimentation

Experimental Designs

Survey Research

Survey Instrumentation

Field Research

Research Using Available Data

Multiple Methods

Data Processing and Elementary Data Analysis

Multivariate Analysis

Writing Research Reports

Filters

Reliability assessment is a matter of checking for , whereas validity assessment is a matter of determining the degree of .