Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
27 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
What is the goal of measurement?
Definition |
-turn conceptual variables (topic you're studying that you can talk about verbally) into measured variables -makes variables more concrete
the assignment of numbers and objects or events according to specific rules |
|
|
Operational definition |
-if some aspect of behavior is vague or may have multiple meanings, we want to define such concepts in ways that are precise, measurable, and concrete -removes feelings and intuitions of a particular individual and allows it to be tested by others
-a precise statement of how conceptual variable is turned into a mesurment variable |
|
|
Conceptual versus operational |
-researchers may start with the same conceptual definition but come up with very different operational definition |
|
|
Construct validity |
-how legitimate are inferences made from the measures in your study regarding the theoretical constructs on which your operational definitions were based? |
|
|
Measurement scales |
-nominal -ordinal scale -interval -ratio
*least informative -> most informative |
|
|
Nominal scale |
-one that classifies objects using distinct, but otherwise meaningless labels -allow us to differentiate between our groups -don't allow us to quantify or compare them -distinguish groups from each other, without further data it's hard to make any conclusions -example: sex, political affiliation, numbers on the back of a sport jersey |
|
|
Ordinal scale |
-ranks objects or events in order of their magnitude -order them -get information about order/ranking of objects, we don't know how large the differences are between these two objects -example: birth order, movie rating system |
|
|
Interval scale |
-the intervals between the numbers on the scale are equal -can interpret data, can still get useful information, can tell change in scale -most commonly used scales in psychology when studying behavior -same distance between 1 and 2, as 5 and 6 -example: temperature scale |
|
|
Ratio scale |
-the intervals are equal and variable has an absolute zero -zero indicates the absence of the variable being measured -all the same properties as an interval scale, however there is now a zero point -example: weight, time |
|
|
Scale conversion/ choice
Is it possible to convert one scale to another? |
-yes, it's always possible to convert from more informative to less informative -example: ratio -> nominal -it;s better to use more information scales (ratio and interval) than less informative (ordinal and nominal) when possible -more informative scales tend to be more reliable |
|
|
Types of measures (3) |
-self-report measures -behavioral measures -physiological measures |
|
|
Self-report measures |
-gather information by directly asking someone about their thoughts, feelings, or behavior -interpreting the data is very tricky -examples: surveys, interviews
-where individuals are asked to respond to questions posed by an interviewer or questionnaire |
|
|
Free-format |
-participants are allowed to freely express their thoughts or feelings -qualitative data -wider range of data but harder to evaluate/interpret -advantage: rich data -disadvantage: difficult to code |
|
|
Fixed-format |
-participants are given a set of questions and their response is constrained or structured -quantitative data -advantage: easy to code -disadvantage: don't know whether the right opinions were presented -example: which federal political party do you vote for? (a) liberal (b) PC (c) NDP |
|
|
Combined: Free and fixed format |
-different formats are sometimes combined to capitalize on strengths of both approaches -example: cognitive interview: allows free recall of an event followed by structured methods to enhance retrieval |
|
|
Self-report measures
Disadvantages: Reactivity |
-social desirability, cooperative/ helpful -by knowing you are being studied, you are going to change the way you behave and respond (react differently) -want themselves to look better |
|
|
Self-report measures
Disadvantages: lack accuracy |
-participants may not be able to accurately self-report -lack insight -can't tell us about thoughts and feeling if they are not aware of them, themselves -example: racism, can implicitly develop attitudes, but are not aware of them |
|
|
Behavioral measures |
-measure participant behavior -frequency, duration, intensity, latency, speed -examples: reaction times, accuracy -measure people's ability to memorize words, give them 5 minutes, then test them -advantages: indirect measures, less sensitive to participants reactivity |
|
|
Psychophysioligical measures |
-measure participants on physiological changes -examples: neural activity- EEG, ERP, fMRI -heart rate, pupil dilation, GSR -not only do you look at the brain but can use other measures -example: the harder you think, the bigger your pupils get
|
|
|
Converging all measures converging operations |
-different approaches can be combined to provide converging evidence about the construct of interest |
|
|
Behavioral measures |
-designed to directly measure what people do |
|
|
Free format self report measures
Protective measures |
-a measure of personality in which an unstructured image is shown to participants who are asked freely what comes to mind as they view that image |
|
|
Free format self report measures
Associative lists |
-given a topic and make a list on whatever comes to mind regarding that topic of interest |
|
|
Free format self report measures
think aloud protocols |
-individuals are asked to verbalize into a tape recorder the thoughts that they are having as they complete a task |
|
|
Fixed format self report measures
Likert scale |
-consists of a series of items that include agreement or dissagreement with the issue that is to be measured, each with a set or responses on which respondents indicate their opinion |
|
|
The semantic differential |
-the topic being evaluated is presented once at the top of the page, and the items consist of pairs of adjectives located at the two end points of a standard response format |
|
|
The Gurrman scale |
-items are arranged in a cumulative order such that it is assumed that if repondend endorses or answers correctly one item, he or she will endorse or correctly answer all the previous scale items |
