Deck 4: Conceptualization and Measurement

Question 1

What is the procedure for identifying or indicating the value of cases on a variable?

A) generalizing
B) conceptualization
C) measuring
D) operationalization

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following is true regarding closed-ended questions?

A) They are used primarily in interviews and field work.
B) They are easy to process with computers and analyze with statistics.
C) They make it more difficult for respondents to answer questions.
D) They often increase confusion about meaning of responses involving complex concepts.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What kind of validity is achieved by establishing that a measure is related to a variety of other measures as specified in a theory?

A) face validity
B) criterion validity
C) construct validity
D) discriminant validity

Answer 3

C

Question 4

At the ______ level of measurement, numbers indicate ______.

A) ordinal; the order of the cases
B) nominal; kind but not amount
C) triangulation; types of research methodologies
D) interval; fixed measurement units

Question 5

Choose the best example of an unobtrusive measure.

A) first person interviews
B) reviewing physical traces of past behavior
C) taking pictures
D) online surveys

Question 6

Ashley is taking a survey and doesn't find a response choice that matches her answer. In this scenario, what is Ashley likely to do?

A) skip the question
B) choose multiple answers
C) create in-test reliability
D) commit a method factor error

Question 7

The sum or average of responses is known as a(n) ______.

A) response rate
B) index
C) interobserver reliability
D) construct validity

Question 8

______ is a prerequisite for measurement ______.

A) Reliability; validity
B) Conceptualization; speculation
C) Trust; reliability
D) Triangulation; analysis

Question 9

______ research projects usually take an inductive approach.

A) Qualitative
B) Quantitative
C) Fixed choice
D) Exhaustive

Question 10

When measures about individuals are used to make assertations about groups, the research may be engaging in ______.

A) ecology
B) reductionism
C) analysis
D) face validity

Question 11

Joan is studying the relationship between dance and social cohesion. She has observed students at one local dance school, collected information about their personal preferences, and is preparing to write up her conclusions. It is likely Joan is making a(n) ______ fallacy.

A) reductionist
B) ecological
C) measurement
D) validity

Question 12

An index composed of questions to measure knowledge of poverty related public policies would be unreliable if respondents' answers to each question were totally ______ of their answers to the others.

A) dependent
B) consistent
C) independent
D) similar

Question 13

An index has ______ when component items are closely related.

A) interitem reliability
B) interitem validity
C) extra-test validity
D) measurement cohesion

Question 14

______ involves connecting concepts to methods of measurement.

A) Conceptualizing
B) Organizing
C) Operationalizing
D) Indicating

Question 15

In the 1960's U.S. Census individuals were asked for the first time to self-identify and indicate their race for the record. This is an example of the U.S. government ______ race.

A) operationalizing
B) validating
C) assessing
D) conceptualizing

Question 16

______ is the process of linking abstract concepts to empirical indicators.

A) Conceptualization
B) Operationalization
C) Measurement
D) Asking questions

Question 17

Fixed choice question response choices must be mutually exclusive and ______.

A) open-ended
B) inconclusive
C) exhaustive
D) operationalized

Question 18

When researchers have failed to come to consensus regarding the meaning of a term or concept, they have not ______ the phenomenon.

A) conceptualized
B) operationalized
C) measured
D) validated

Question 19

Concepts such as poverty are difficult to conceptualize because they can be defined by ______ standards.

A) maladaptive
B) subjective
C) objective
D) realistic

Question 20

A survey question that offers pre-formatted response choices is an example of which question type?

A) open-ended
B) closed-ended
C) closed-choice
D) intermittent-choice

Question 21

A question's response choices are ______ when every case can be classified as having only one attribute or value.

A) mutually exclusive
B) relevant
C) open-ended
D) exhaustive

Question 22

Brent Simpson combined answers to three questions from a national survey to operationalize the concept of general trust.

Question 23

We call poverty a measurement-a mental image that summarizes a set of similar observations, feelings, or ideas.

Question 24

Responses to open-ended questions are easy to answer, to process with computers, and analyze with statistics.

Question 25

When a variable's attributes are mutually exclusive and exhaustive, every case corresponds to different attributes.

Question 26

Content validity establishes that the measure covers none or little of the concept's meaning.

Question 27

By using tried and true measures, researchers are not responsible for testing the reliability and validity of the measure in their own studies.

Question 28

In most sociological and psychological studies, the units of analysis are individuals.

Question 29

A reliable measure is a valid measure.

Question 30

The available resources and opportunities rarely determine the choice of a particular measurement method.

Question 31

It is usually a good idea to try to measure variables at the lowest level of measurement possible.

Question 32

Compare and contrast ecological and reductionist fallacies. Explain why it is important for researchers to avoid these ways of thinking when conducting research.