Deck 5: Qualitative and Quantitative Measurement

Question 1

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

Answer 1

A researcher uses the conceptual definition of a construct in operationalization and conceptualization by first clearly defining the construct in theoretical terms. This involves understanding the underlying concept and its key components. Once the conceptual definition is established, the researcher can then proceed to operationalize the construct, which involves defining specific measurable variables or indicators that represent the construct in a research study. This step requires translating the abstract concept into observable and measurable terms.

Additionally, the conceptual definition guides the researcher in the process of conceptualization, which involves developing a theoretical framework for the study and identifying the relationships between different constructs. By using the conceptual definition as a foundation, the researcher can ensure that the operationalization and conceptualization of the construct are aligned with the theoretical understanding of the concept, thus enhancing the validity and reliability of the research findings. Overall, the conceptual definition serves as a crucial starting point for researchers to effectively translate abstract concepts into concrete research variables and theoretical frameworks.

Question 2

Explain how to use the Bogardus Social Distance Scale to measure whether people feel more socially distant from ex-mental hospital patients or heroin addicts.

Answer 2

The Bogardus Social Distance Scale is a tool used to measure the level of social distance that individuals feel towards specific groups of people. To use this scale to measure whether people feel more socially distant from ex-mental hospital patients or heroin addicts, you would first need to create a survey or questionnaire that includes the specific groups in question.

The survey would present participants with a series of scenarios or statements related to interacting with ex-mental hospital patients and heroin addicts, and ask them to indicate their level of comfort or willingness to engage with each group. For example, participants could be asked to rate their willingness to have a close friend who is an ex-mental hospital patient or a heroin addict, or their comfort level with having a family member marry someone from each group.

Participants would then use the Bogardus Social Distance Scale to rate their feelings of social distance towards each group, typically using a 7-point scale ranging from "willingness to have close relationships" to "complete avoidance." The responses would be tallied and analyzed to determine the level of social distance felt towards ex-mental hospital patients and heroin addicts.

By comparing the average scores for each group, researchers can determine whether people feel more socially distant from ex-mental hospital patients or heroin addicts. This information can provide valuable insights into societal attitudes and perceptions towards these specific groups, which can be used to inform interventions and policies aimed at reducing stigma and promoting social inclusion.

Question 3

Anthony DeGrassi asked 200 students about individual forms of physical exercise they have seriously tried. He asked questions about: (1) bicycling, (2) swimming, (3) jogging/long-distance running, and (4) weight training [free-weights or exercise machines]. When he looked at the results he found that a large majority of those who tried weight training previously had tried bicycling, swimming, and jogging. At the same time, joggers usually had tried swimming and bicycling, but not weight lifting. Also, many of those who bicycle had never tried any other form of exercise listed. With this type of result, what scaling technique should you recommend he use to organize the information?

A) Borgadus Social Distance Scale
B) semantic differential
C) Harrison's scale
D) Likert scale
E) Guttman scaling

Answer 3

Guttman scaling

Question 4

Janice 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 5

Dr. Smellie's survey question asked students to indicate their class standing as one of the following: Fresh., Soph., Jr., Sr., or Grad. He measured the variable at what level of measurement?

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

Question 6

Kim Jae-On said his measure of community had unidimensionality. This means

A) the independent variable causes the dependent variable, and vice versa.
B) it only measures one thing or a single construct.
C) the unit of analysis is the individual.
D) measures are divided by a common base so that comparison is possible.
E) it measures something across different time periods.

Question 7

Dr. Liu developed a new measure of fear of crime. His conceptual definition was: The degree of emotional, behavioral, 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 8

Dr. Liu found a high correlation between his operational definition of fear of crime and watching too much prime-time television. From this he can conclude

A) his measure of fear of crime is valid.
B) his measure of fear of crime is reliable.
C) there is proof that watching TV causes a much greater fear of crime.
D) some evidence suggests that people who watch prime-time TV a lot have taken precautions to avoid some crimes.
E) people who fear crime a lot stay at home more, and while they are at home, they watch a lot of television.

Question 9

Refer to the following paragraph to answer the questions below.
Maria Valencia developed a new test to measure intelligence or IQ. She claimed that, using her test, someone with an IQ of 180 would be considered twice as intelligent as someone with an IQ of 90. In addition, someone with an IQ of 90 was three times as intelligent as someone with an IQ of 30. In order to see how good it was, she tested two groups of students with her new test during the first week of the semester. One group scored low on existing IQ tests. The other scored very high.
She found that those who scored low on old tests usually scored low on her new test, while those who scored very high on old tests usually scored high on the new test. In addition, she had the group of people who took the new test retake it at the midterm and again at the end of the semester. She found that a person's IQ score did not change across the three times it was measured during the semester.

-By comparing it with an old test, she has shown the new measure to have

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

Question 10

Beth Bobson wants to develop a composite measure of how employees feel about a new corporate name and logo. She uses a measure where employees note their feelings on a continuum between two extremes. The polar extremes are labeled and refer to general evaluative adjectives. Which of the following is she using?

A) Guttman scale
B) Bogardus Social Distance Scale
C) an index
D) semantic differential
E) Likert scale

Question 11

Jack Jackson, owner of the Jackson Automobile Supermarket, wanted to find out the kinds of cars to push to graduating college students. He asked 100 college seniors to rate ten 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 ten 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. After calculating the information and reviewing the results, Jack focused on selling cars with scores of 80 and higher to graduating students. What measurement technique did Jack use in his study?

A) semantic differential
B) Bogardus Social Distance Scale
C) Likert scale
D) Hawthorne scale
E) an index

Question 12

Green County Social Services Department is interested in placing a group home for adults with mental retardation in a neighborhood. The department wants to measure the feelings of people in the Meadowood neighborhood towards cognitively disabled adults. The staff creates a questionnaire that contains an item that has six categories for the degree of contact that goes from "Having cognitively disabled adults in my city," to "Having a cognitively disabled adult as a roommate."
Neighborhood residents are to begin with the first category and mark all those that they feel personally comfortable with. The questionnaire uses the

A) semantic differential.
B) Bogardus Social Distance Scale.
C) Likert scale.
D) Guttman scale.
E) Thurstone scale.

Question 13

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 14

Use the letters marking parts of the diagram of the measurement process to identify the following parts.


-Conceptualization of the dependent variable:

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

Question 15

Use the letters marking parts of the diagram of the measurement process to identify the following parts.


-Empirical hypothesis:

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

Question 16

Talk about:
-Bogardus Social Distance Scale

Question 17

Talk about:
-conceptual definition

Question 18

Talk about:
-conceptual hypothesis

Question 19

Talk about:
-conceptualization

Question 20

Talk about:
-concurrent validity

Question 21

Talk about:
-content validity

Question 22

Talk about:
-continuous variables

Question 23

Talk about:
-criterion validity

Question 24

Talk about:
-discrete variables

Question 25

Talk about:
-empirical hypothesis

Question 26

Talk about:
-exhaustive attributes

Question 27

Talk about:
-external validity

Question 28

Talk about:
-face validity

Question 29

Talk about:
-Guttman scaling

Question 30

Talk about:
-index

Question 31

Talk about:
-internal validity

Question 32

Talk about:
-Likert scale

Question 33

Talk about:
-measurement validity

Question 34

Talk about:
-multiple indicators

Question 35

Talk about:
-operational definition

Question 36

Talk about:
-operationalization

Question 37

Talk about:
-predictive validity

Question 38

Talk about:
-reliability

Question 39

Talk about:
-scale

Question 40

Talk about:
-Semantic differential

Question 41

Talk about:
-standardization

Question 42

Talk about:
-unidimensionality

Question 43

Talk about:
-validity