Deck 12: Asking Good Questions: Measurement Basics

Question 1

Which of the following is the most complete description of permissible measures of central tendency for an interval scale?

A)Arithmetic mean,median,mode
B)Geometric mean,mode,median
C)Median,mode
D)Arithmetic mean,geometric mean
E)Mode,arithmetic mean

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following about ordinal data is TRUE?

A)An ordinal scale implies order but not identity.
B)The attribute being measured must possess the ordinal property to allow ordinal scaling that is meaningful.
C)With an ordinal scale we can say the difference between the first and second is the same as the difference between the second and the third.
D)The calculation of means is appropriate with ordinal data.
E)Grade point average is a good example of an ordinal scale.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The zero scale value found when measuring marketing variables typically represents

A)the ordinal nature of the variable.
B)an absolute lack of an attribute.
C)the logical existence of a natural zero point.
D)a point of absolute zero magnitude.
E)a point of indifference to which the value zero is arbitrarily attached.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Which of the following statements about nominal scales is TRUE?

A)The numbers identify the objects.
B)The numbers order the objects.
C)The median can be used as the measure of average.
D)The mean can be used as the measure of average.
E)Both a and c.

Question 5

Which of the following is(are)permissible measure(s)of central tendency with ordinal scales?

A)Arithmetic mean,median and the mode
B)Geometric and harmonic means
C)Median and mode
D)Arithmetic mean and median
E)Arithmetic mean

Question 6

The notion that equal differences among scores represent equal differences in the amount of the attribute possessed by the object applies to ____ scales.

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

Question 7

Which of the following is(are)permissible measure(s)of central tendency with ratio scales?

A)Arithmetic mean,median and the mode
B)Geometric mean
C)Median and mode
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 8

Which of the following is FALSE?

A)You are studying the product life cycle phenomenon attempting to classify certain products into the following stages: introduction,growth,maturity,saturation,and decline.This represents nominal scaling.
B)The above products can be further classified according to whether they are consumer or industrial goods.This is an example of nominal scaling.
C)The respondent's gender is an example of a nominal scale.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 9

The interchanging or switching of scale values among and between objects does not affect the originally intended purpose of the scale when the scale is

A)nominal.
B)ordinal.
C)interval.
D)ratio.
E)the interchanging of scale values always affects the purpose.

Question 10

The ordinal scale represents a higher level of measurement than the nominal scale in that

A)the assigned numerals serve to identify the objects.
B)the magnitude of the differences in the objects is shown.
C)the assigned numerals represent the order as well as identifying the object.
D)it has a natural zero.
E)it has an arbitrary zero.

Question 11

If s/he wanted to use the highest level of measurement possible,the researcher measuring respondent age would most likely suggest using ____ and a(n)____ scale.

A)an open-ended item;interval
B)an open-ended item;ratio
C)age range categories;ordinal
D)age range categories;interval
E)an open-ended item;nominal

Question 12

Which of the following about interval scales is FALSE?

A)An interval scale exhibits the property of order.
B)Absolute magnitudes cannot be compared using an interval scale because the zero point is established arbitrarily.
C)The number of years the respondent has lived at a particular address is an example of an interval scale.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 13

Which of the following scales is reflected by an attribute of an object that represents a non-ordered classification?

A)Nominal
B)Ordinal
C)Interval
D)Ratio
E)Continuous

Question 14

Which of the following statements is INCORRECT with respect to a nominally classified variable?

A)Counting is the only permissible operation.
B)The median is a permissible measure of central tendency.
C)The only property conveyed by the number is identity.
D)When members of a sample have been classified along a nominal scale,it is possible to say what percentage of the sample is classified a certain way.
E)The mode is a permissible measure of central tendency.

Question 15

For a scale to have ordinal properties,which of the following must be established?

A)If "a" is greater than "b," then "b" is not greater than "a."
B)If "a" is greater than "b" and "b" is greater than "c," then "a" is greater than "c."
C)If "a" is equal to "b" and "b" is equal to "c," then "a" is equal to "c."
D)All of the above.
E)None of the above.

Question 16

Which of the following statements about nominal data is TRUE?

A)Possible operations with nominal scales are few,but due to the fact that the properties of "greater than" or "less than" apply,the addition of numbers is permissible.
B)The median is an appropriate measure of central tendency with nominal data.
C)A nominal scale is associated with the concept of identification and categorization.
D)Computing the median is an acceptable statistical operation when one is dealing with nominal data.
E)They are all false.

Question 17

Regarding measurement basics,we measure

A)objects.
B)quantities of objects.
C)quantities of attributes of objects.
D)variance among objects.
E)variance among attributes.

Question 18

Code words,letters,or numbers used by security and intelligence organizations to form secret codes are examples of what type of scales?

A)Nominal
B)Ordinal
C)Interval
D)Ratio
E)Continuous

Question 19

As defined in the text,measurement consists of

A)the assignment of numbers (representing quantities of attributes)to objects or events according to rules.
B)using a given scale to make comparisons.
C)determining the frequency of a particular attribute.
D)assigning numbers solely for identification purposes.
E)numbers which can be assigned to the physical properties of objects.

Question 20

Which of the following statements is INCORRECT with respect to ordinally scaled variables?

A)The difference between the first- and second-ranked people is the same as the difference between the second- and third-ranked people.
B)Both the median and mode are permissible measures of average.
C)We can transform an ordinal scale in any way we wish as long as we maintain the basic ordering of the objects.
D)The ordinal scale implies identity.
E)The ordinal scale implies relative standing on the measured attributes.

Question 21

Which of the following statements concerning measurement is FALSE?

A)Properties of the attributes must first be determined before measurement begins.
B)Numbers are assigned to accurately reflect properties of an attribute.
C)Typically,researchers recognize five "levels" of measurement.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 22

You have been assigned the task of evaluating consumer acceptance of and favorability toward a new product that a company has just test marketed in your area.In order to determine the degree to which consumers hold favorable attitudes toward the product,what is the lowest level of scale that you can use?

A)Nominal
B)Ordinal
C)Interval
D)Ratio
E)Need more information

Question 23

Which of the following is TRUE?

A)Age is an example of a ratio scale.
B)The number of children in the family is an example of an interval scale.
C)Brand names of automobiles owned is an example of an ordinal scale.
D)A person's monthly gasoline expenditure in dollars is an example of a ratio scale.
E)Both a and d.

Question 24

With an interval scale

A)we cannot compare the absolute magnitude of numbers.
B)we cannot state that the difference between 0.25 and 0.50 is the same as the difference between 37.75 and 38.00.
C)there is a naturally-occurring zero point.
D)the median and the mode are the only permissible measures of average.
E)They are all false.

Question 25

____ scales possess an absolute zero.

A)Nominal
B)Ordinal
C)Interval
D)Ratio
E)Continuous

Question 26

An attitude is a

A)hypothetical construct.
B)conceptual construct.
C)operational construct.
D)systematic construct.
E)random construct.

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT true when a scale is a ratio scale?

A)The scale allows for comparison of the absolute magnitude of numbers.
B)The zero point is established arbitrarily.
C)If "a" is greater than "b" and "b" is greater than "c," then "a" is greater than "c."
D)If "a" equals "b" and "b" equals "c," then "a" equals "c."
E)The mode and the median are permissible measures of central tendency.

Question 28

When purifying a set of items,the researcher

A)eliminates items that seem to create confusion among respondents.
B)can use coefficient alpha to assess the correlation among items from the domain of a single construct.
C)adds new items to replace those eliminated.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 29

The magnitude of the differences in objects is shown when which types of scales are used?

A)Interval or ordinal
B)Ratio or ordinal
C)Ordinal or nominal
D)Interval or ratio
E)Nominal or interval

Question 30

What characteristic must a scale possess in order for the researcher to compute the ratio of the magnitude of the numbers?

A)It must have an arbitrary zero point.
B)The range of the absolute scale intervals must be divisible by two.
C)It must use only integers.
D)It must have an absolute zero point.
E)The modal ratio must be greater than two.

Question 31

Which of the following is FALSE?

A)Interval scales allow researchers to compare the absolute magnitude of numbers.
B)A ratio scale differs from an interval scale in that the ratio scale has a natural zero.
C)Determination of absolute zero is difficult with measurements in marketing.It is debatable whether many of the constructs used in marketing even possess this property.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 32

What factor determines which level of measurement is possible?

A)Properties of the attribute
B)Objects being measured
C)Quantities of attributes of objects
D)Quantities of objects being measured
E)Variance among attributes

Question 33

Which of the following is true of a theory?

A)Theories attempt to understand and explain how things work.
B)Theories are concerned with relationships between concepts.
C)Theories typically depend on directly observable constructs.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 34

Which of the following statements is FALSE with regard to ratio scales?

A)A ratio scale exhibits the property of identity.
B)With a ratio scale,the comparison of the absolute magnitude of the numbers is legitimate.
C)A ratio scale possesses a natural zero point.
D)The geometric mean is a meaningful measure of average with a ratio scale.
E)A ratio scale allows the comparison of absolute magnitudes but not the differences in magnitudes.

Question 35

Which of the following is an example of an interval scale?

A)Female/Male
B)Attitude toward an advertisement
C)Social class
D)Income
E)Number of purchasers

Question 36

Which type of scale assumes an arbitrary zero point?

A)Ratio
B)Median
C)Interval
D)Nominal
E)Ordinal

Question 37

It is reasonable to state that one object has twice as much of the attribute property when it has a score of 60 and the other object has a score of 30 when measurement is on a(n)____ scale.

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

Question 38

Which of the following can be measured?

A)Weight
B)Height
C)Attitude
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 39

The number of "outs" in a baseball game is measured on a(n)

A)ratio scale.
B)interval scale.
C)ordinal scale.
D)nominal scale.
E)lambda scale.

Question 40

Which of the following is FALSE?

A)With a ratio scale,it is possible to have zero amount of some attribute.
B)There are few psychological constructs that can reasonably be assumed to have a natural or absolute zero.
C)When using a ratio scale,it is inappropriate to calculate a mean score.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 41

A definition of Construct "A" in terms of Constructs "B","C",and "D" is known as a(n)

A)working definition.
B)operational definition.
C)theoretical definition.
D)textbook definition.
E)conceptual definition.

Question 42

Of the many sources of differences of scores,the researcher is especially interested in isolating the differences due to

A)situational factors.
B)variations in administration.
C)mechanical factors.
D)true differences in the characteristic.
E)the sampling of items.

Question 43

A test necessarily lacks content validity when it

A)does not successfully predict the criterion.
B)is made up of a statistically significant selected sample of items from a large collection of items.
C)has excellent "face validity."
D)is made up of a random selection of items from a population of items.
E)is made up of items which do not represent the domain of the construct.

Question 44

Which of the following statements is INCORRECT with respect to predictive validity?

A)It is relatively easy to assess.
B)It includes predictive and concurrent validity.
C)It is usually established by means of a correlation.
D)It is the most important kind of validity since it enables researchers to make accurate predictions.
E)It requires measurement of a criterion variable.

Question 45

While completing a survey on attitudes toward house ownership,John was hit by an attack of indigestion.Which of the following best accounts for the difference between John's and another respondent's scores?

A)A true difference in attitudes
B)A true difference in personality between john and bob
C)A difference due to temporary personal factors
D)A difference due to situational factors
E)A difference due to variations in administration.

Question 46

Convergent validity is

A)demonstrated by showing how well the content of the test samples the subject matter.
B)demonstrated by correlating independent measures of the same construct.
C)demonstrated by the goodness of the predictions made with the measure.
D)demonstrated by the stability in scores exhibited by the measure.
E)never demonstrated.

Question 47

Exhibit 12.1 An advertiser has developed a television advertisement designed to create a "feeling of warmth" on the part of viewers since she believes that this will lead to positive attitudes toward the product,and ultimately to increased sales.In order to determine if the ad does produce the desired feelings in viewers,she has devised a three-item scale to measure the warmth construct.After viewing the commercial (independently),Joe had a score of 15 on the warmth scale and Perry had a score of 9.
Refer to Exhibit 12.1.Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)The scale used is likely to be at least as reliable as a ten-item scale since a ten-item scale is more likely to inadvertently tap into constructs other than warmth.
B)If Joe and Perry had viewed the commercial and listened to instruction together at the same time,and then had completed the scales,at least one source of variation might have been greatly reduced.
C)It is possible that Perry's lower score might have resulted from accidentally checking the wrong response.
D)Some relatively stable characteristic of an individual,such as Perry's unwillingness to share the actual intensity of his feelings,might have contributed to the difference in the two scores.
E)Joe did not necessarily have "warmer" feelings toward the ad than Perry.

Question 48

Which of the following is FALSE?

A)Researchers measure attributes of objects,not necessarily the objects themselves.
B)The measurement process itself may contain error.
C)Psychological measurement is fairly simple because many measurement scales have already been developed.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 49

Which of the following is FALSE?

A)Content validity is most directly concerned with the question of what the instrument is measuring,i.e. ,what construct underlies its performance.
B)Construct validity cannot truly be established without evidence of convergent and discriminant validity.
C)The content validity of a measure focuses on the adequacy with which the domain of the characteristic is captured by the measure.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 50

Which of the following is FALSE?

A)It is true about psychological measurement that the situation in which the measurement is obtained can affect the score obtained.
B)Random error is also known as constant error.This is due to the fact that there are typically an equal number of positive and negative errors that yield a constant sum.
C)The validity of a measurement instrument refers to the extent to which differences in scores reflect true differences among entities on the characteristic that the instrument seeks to measure.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 51

Which of the following is an example of construct validation procedures? When attempting to measure the personality of Chevrolet owners,researchers used the California Personality Inventory.

A)As expected,scores on this test were found to correlate highly with scores on Edwards Personal Preference Schedule but very low correlations were found with scores on a Social Responsibility scale.
B)Scores of the California Personality Inventory were administered to the same subjects on two different occasions and correlated.
C)Scores on the California Personality Inventory were used to predict attitudes toward Chevrolets.
D)Scores on the California Personality Inventory were found to successfully predict Chevrolet owners.
E)All of the above are examples of procedures followed in examining the construct validity of a measure.

Question 52

Theory and hypothetical constructs are not of much practical use unless

A)a diagram can be used to illustrate linkages among the constructs.
B)it has been proven that the concepts really exist.
C)a relationship has been imprecisely stated.
D)they have been tested using empirical research.
E)All of the above.

Question 53

In a recent survey,those who brushed their teeth often under-reported the activity,while those who brushed their teeth less frequently overreported their dental hygiene behavior.The possible cause for differences in scores could best be attributed to

A)a true difference in the characteristic being measured.
B)differences due to situational factors.
C)differences due to temporary personal factors.
D)true differences in other relatively stable characteristics of the individuals.
E)differences due to variations in administration.

Question 54

The time a person wakes up in the morning has been shown to be a good predictor of the time the person goes to bed.Wake up time is best described as having

A)construct validity.
B)content validity.
C)concurrent validity.
D)predictive validity.
E)convergent validity.

Question 55

Which of the following is TRUE?

A)Three aspects of validity - pragmatic,content,and construct - are not only conceptually independent but are in actual practice rarely related to each other.
B)A measure has been used repeatedly and has produced almost identical answers;therefore this instrument is valid.
C)Random error is less troublesome than systematic error.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 56

Exhibit 12.1 An advertiser has developed a television advertisement designed to create a "feeling of warmth" on the part of viewers since she believes that this will lead to positive attitudes toward the product,and ultimately to increased sales.In order to determine if the ad does produce the desired feelings in viewers,she has devised a three-item scale to measure the warmth construct.After viewing the commercial (independently),Joe had a score of 15 on the warmth scale and Perry had a score of 9.
Refer to Exhibit 12.1.Which of the following is NOT a potential source of difference between these scores?

A)True differences with regard to the feeling of warmth created by the ad.
B)Perry had a rotten day at work,while Joe had a good day.
C)The sampling of items chosen to measure warmth could have contributed to the difference in scores.
D)Perry and Joe interpreted one of the questions differently.
E)All of the above are potential sources of differences between the scores.

Question 57

Due to a misunderstanding of his instructions,a research assistant consistently entered the upper value of an attitude scale as a "6" instead of a "7" when keypunching data for his boss.This is an example of

A)systematic error.
B)researcher error.
C)random error.
D)scaling error.
E)marginal error.

Question 58

An operational definition defines

A)how a construct is measured.
B)a construct using other constructs.
C)the usefulness of the measuring instrument.
D)the reliability of the measuring instrument.
E)the validity of the measure.

Question 59

Predictive validity is NOT concerned with

A)the use of a test score to predict some future occurrence.
B)the relationship between the predictive and criterion variables when both are assessed at the same point in time.
C)the use of a test score to predict some simultaneous occurrence.
D)the degree to which the measure appears to be measuring the full range of the construct.
E)predictive validity is concerned with all of the above.

Question 60

Validity is

A)concerned with the relationships of random error with systematic error.
B)equal to the true score plus the systematic error.
C)equal to the true score plus systematic error minus random error.
D)concerned with the extent to which differences in scores reflect true differences in the characteristic.
E)concerned with the extent to which differences in scores reflect instability in the measurements.

Question 61

Which of the following statements is FALSE with regard to construct validity?

A)Construct validity is the most difficult type of validity to establish.
B)Construct validity requires that the measure exhibit content validity.
C)Construct validity is necessary for a measure to exhibit reliability.
D)For a measure to exhibit construct validity,it must behave as expected with regard to other constructs in the nomological net for a given theory.
E)Construct validity requires the measure possess discriminant validity.

Question 62

The ACT and SAT are exams administered to high school students to determine how well they may do in college.Such tests are used because of their

A)discriminant validity.
B)predictive validity.
C)convergent validity.
D)interjudge reliability.
E)nomological validity.

Question 63

Which of the following is NOT a generally-useful technique for generating items representative of the domain of a construct?

A)Experience surveys
B)Consumer surveys
C)Literature searches
D)Insight-stimulating examples
E)All of the above are generally useful.

Question 64

____ validity is concerned with the degree to which a measure behaves as it should in relation to measures of theoretically related constructs.

A)Convergent
B)Nomological
C)Discriminant
D)Construct
E)Predictive

Question 65

What type of scale is the following? "What is your gender? 1 Male 2 Female

A)Nominal scale
B)Ordinal scale
C)Interval scale
D)Ratio scale
E)Likert scale

Question 66

Star Search,a televised talent search,uses multiple judges to measure how well a candidate performs.We would anticipate that the measures of the candidate would be highly correlated across the judges,effectively demonstrating

A)discriminant validity.
B)predictive validity.
C)convergent validity.
D)interjudge reliability.
E)nomological validity.

Question 67

Which of the following statements about content validity is TRUE?

A)It is sometimes called face validity.
B)It is the most difficult type of validity to establish
C)It lies at the heart of scientific progress.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 68

A study was done on the campus of a major state institution to measure attitudes of students towards the recent fee increase.One question asks respondents to rank the five fees they are willing to pay from 1=most willing to 5=least willing.This is scaled as: ____ Computer fee
____ Library fee
____ Parking fee
____ Student Center fee
____ Kinesiology Building fee

A)Nominal scale.
B)Ordinal scale.
C)Interval scale.
D)Ratio scale.
E)None of the above.

Question 69

When we repeat a measurement on an individual or group of individuals and do not get the same score as the first time we did the measurement (assuming the characteristic being measured has not changed),a ____ is present.

A)systematic error
B)researcher error
C)random error
D)scaling error
E)marginal error

Question 70

Which of the following is FALSE?

A)Reliability is more difficult to determine than validity.
B)A reliable measure may or may not be valid.
C)If a measure (X_o)is not reliable,it cannot have construct validity.
D)Determining that a respondent's score on one part of the scale correlates with his or her score on other parts of the scale shows interjudge reliability.
E)Both a and d.

Question 71

Which of the following is FALSE?

A)If a measure is reliable,it is not heavily influenced by transitory factors that cause random errors.
B)If an item lacks correlation with other scale items measuring the same construct there is evidence that the item does not belong and should be deleted.
C)Systematic error is due to temporary aspects of the person or measurement situation,which affects the measurement in irregular ways.
D)Reliability is necessary,but not sufficient,for establishing the validity of a measure.
E)If a set of items all measures the same construct,the responses to the items should be correlated.

Question 72

If the number of squirrels in your backyard is highly correlated with the price of unleaded gasoline,then the number of squirrels is said to have ____ with respect to gas prices.

A)discriminant validity
B)predictive validity
C)convergent validity
D)interjudge reliability
E)nomological validity

Question 73

The first step in developing a measure of marketing constructs is to

A)generate sample items.
B)purify the measure.
C)assess validity.
D)specify the domain of the construct.
E)collect data.

Question 74

A question that asks "How much you would be willing to pay in annual premium for a $100,000 home insurance policy" in the following way would be scaled as: Check appropriate category
____ < $25 per month
____ $26 to $40 month
____ $41 to $55 month
____ > $55 per month

A)Nominal scale
B)Ordinal scale
C)Interval scale
D)Ratio scale
E)Likert scale

Question 75

A popular means of assessing internal consistency reliability of a measure is

A)coefficient alpha.
B)standard deviation.
C)variance.
D)hypothetical constructs.
E)interjudge reliability.

Question 76

Which of the following about construct validity is TRUE?

A)Construct validity of a measuring instrument is determined solely by assessing how well the indicator or measure predicts performance or behavior.
B)Construct validity should be of greater concern to scientists and theorists than to practitioners.
C)A measure may have content validity without having construct validity.
D)A measure may have construct validity without having content validity.
E)All of the above statements are false.

Question 77

One hundred sports writers are given a survey and asked to rank basketball players on categories such as rebounding,points scored,and assists.The results of the survey indicate that most sports writers agree on the top ten players,within the given categories.This is evidence of

A)reliability.
B)concurrent validity.
C)discriminant validity.
D)predictive validity.
E)construct validity.

Question 78

What type of scale is the following? What was your annual gross income (before taxes)last year? $____.

A)Nominal scale
B)Ordinal scale
C)Interval scale
D)Ratio scale
E)Constant-sum scale

Question 79

Which of the following is TRUE?

A)A valid measure is reliable and vice versa.
B)Construct validity is also called face validity.
C)In order for construct validity to be established,the measure must be reliable,or consistent,and must be related to other measures in appropriate ways.
D)Both a and c.
E)Both b and c.

Question 80

When developing a measure,the next step after the researcher has specified the domain of the construct of interest is to

A)collect data.
B)purify the measure.
C)assess construct validity.
D)generate a sample of items.
E)assess reliability.