Deck 1: The Definition and Measurement of Concepts

Question 1

A measure that records the true value of an intended characteristic is said to be?

A) reliable
B) complete
C) complex
D) validity

Answer 1

D

Question 2

A recent public opinion poll found that 47 percent of respondents approve of the job the president is doing. Subsequent polls found approval ratings of 46 percent, 48 percent, and 49 percent. Based upon this we can say the questions in the poll are what kind of measurement of presidential job approval?

A) valid
B) reliable
C) fair
D) random

Answer 2

B

Question 3

When studying the passage of Civil Rights legislation by Congress each bill is an example of a(n) _____.

A) aggregate unit of analysis
B) individual unit of analysis
C) complex unit of analysis
D) simple unit of analysis

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Two or more distinct groups of empirical characteristics are known as a ______.

A) conceptual dimension
B) multidimensional concept
C) polyarchy
D) concrete dimension

Question 5

Which of the following concepts is defined as the extent to which states exhibit the characteristic of having residents who support government spending for social programs?

A) economic liberalism
B) economic conservatism
C) social conservatism
D) social liberalism

Question 6

A researcher develops a survey to measure political ideology on a 7-point scale from strong liberal to strong conservative. The result provides an accurate measure of the ideology of the individuals in the study. This is an example of ______.

A) construct validity
B) face validity
C) political validity
D) concept validity

Question 7

The primary goals of political research are to describe ______ and ______ the relationship between them.

A) ideas; understand
B) representation; identify
C) ideologies; explain
D) concepts; analyze

Question 8

A researcher is studying political ideologies and includes a question about an individual's views on same-sex marriage as one of the ______.

A) concepts
B) characteristics
C) concrete statements
D) distinctives

Question 9

A(n) ______ describes clearly the concept's measurable properties and specifies the units of analysis.

A) concrete statement
B) concrete question
C) conceptual definition
D) operational definition

Question 10

A researcher uses his judgment to determine whether support for welfare spending measures economic liberalism. This is an example of ______.

A) concept validity
B) construct validity
C) face validity
D) political validity

Question 11

The entity that researchers want to describe and analyze is known as a ______.

A) unit of analysis
B) multidimensional characteristic
C) concept
D) operational definition

Question 12

A group of research subjects who modify their behavior in response to being studied will likely lead to ______ being present in the measurement.

A) systematic error
B) random error
C) ecological error
D) reliability

Question 13

One way to test the reliability of a measure is the ______ method.

A) concrete
B) random data
C) test-retest
D) conceptualization

Question 14

______ introduces consistent, chronic distortion into an empirical measurement.

A) Random error
B) Ecological error
C) Distribution error
D) Systematic error

Question 15

Democratization is an example of a(n) ______ in political research.

A) objective
B) concept
C) agenda
D) measurement

Question 16

A researcher is studying the attitudes of liberals and determines that one characteristic of liberals is support for abortion rights. Joe describes himself as a liberal, so the researcher concludes that Joe supports abortion rights. This is an example of ______.

A) systematic error
B) ecological fallacy
C) random error
D) reliability

Question 17

An idea or mental construct that organizes, maps, and helps us understand phenomena in the real world and make choices is referred to as a ______.

A) unit of analysis
B) operation
C) definition
D) concept

Question 18

A measure that provides inconsistent readings of a concept probably suffers from______.

A) systematic error
B) ecological error
C) random error
D) distribution error

Question 19

A question that may be answered empirically using tangible properties is called a ______.

A) conceptual question
B) concrete question
C) complex question
D) concept

Question 20

A research assistant is entering data into a data set on individual attitudes regarding social issues. He did not get enough sleep the night before and occasionally enters the wrong code for some individuals. This is an example of ______.

A) systematic error
B) random error
C) validity
D) reliability

Question 21

A measure is said to be reliable when it accurately measures the concept being studied.

Question 22

The structure of data sets varies substantially.

Question 23

In a study of the presidency, presidential speeches are an example of a unit of analysis.

Question 24

A survey that measures exactly the characteristic it is designed to measure is considered to be valid.

Question 25

Data sets are always large and tend to contain large numbers.

Question 26

An interviewer who records a respondent's answer incorrectly has introduced random measurement error into the research.

Question 27

An operational definition describes the instrument to be used in measuring a concept and putting the conceptual definition to work.

Question 28

A measure that "picks up" an unintended characteristic when studying human subjects is known as the Hawthorne effect.

Question 29

Liberalism is the extent to which individuals express support for increased government spending for social programs is an example of an operational definition.

Question 30

Conservatives tend to oppose same-sex marriage. Paul is a conservative. Therefore, Paul opposes same-sex marriage.

Question 31

A survey instrument intended to measure presidential approval ratings that produce drastically different numbers each time it is administered lacks reliability.

Question 32

A concept is an idea or mental construct that represents phenomena in the real world.

Question 33

Every concept must have two essential properties, concreteness and variability.

Question 34

A data set that compiles information collected at different time intervals to study properties that vary over time is a times series data set.

Question 35

Economic liberalism and social liberalism comprise a single dimension of the concept liberalism.