Kaarten: Methodology - Chapter 3 - Defining and Measuring Variables | Quizlet

A theory

A set of statements about the mechanism underlying a particular behaviour. Helping to organize and unify different observations of the behaviour and its relationship with other variables

A good theory

Provides an explanation for the behaviour and generates predictions about the behaviour.

Constructs

Hypothetical attributes or mechanisms that help explain and predict behaviour in a theory.

Hypothetical construct

An internal attribute that can not be observed directly, e.g.: intelligence

An operational definition

A procedure for indirectly measuring and defining a variable that cannot be observed or measured directly. It specifies a measurement procedure (a set of operations) for measuring an external, observable behaviour and uses the resulting measurements as a definition and a measurement of the hypothetical construct.

Scatter plots

English for spreidingsdiagram

Positive relationship

When to measurements change together in the same direction.

Negative relationship

When to measurements change in opposite direction.

The validity of a measurement process

The degree to which the measurement process measures the variable that it claims to measure.

Face validity

A basic form of validity demonstrated when a measurement procedure superficially (op het eerste zicht) appears to measure what it claims to measure.

Concurrent validity

"When scores obtained from a new measure are directly related to scores obtained from an established measure of the same variable.

Predictive validity

When scores obtained from a measure accurately predict behaviour according to a theory. E.g.: the Student Risk Screening Scale (SRSS)

Construct validity

Requires that the scores obtained from a measurement procedure behave exactly the same as the variable itself. It is based on many research studies that use the same procedure and grows gradually as each study contributes more evidence. It is a kind of ideal or a goal that develops gradually from the results of many research studies that examine the measurement procedure in a wide variety of situations. E.g.: weight measurement does not have this validity as a measure of height.

Convergent validity

The type of validity that is demonstrated by a strong relationship between the scores obtained form two, or more, different methods of measuring the same construct. E.g: Relationship Quality Interview (RQI): emotional intimacy, sexual relationship, support transactions, power sharing, problemsolving

Divergent validity

The type of validity that is demonstrated by showing little or no relationship between the measurements of two different constructs. E.g: Relationship Quality Interview (RQI): relationship quality vs. general level of satisfaction

The reliability of measurements procedure

The stability or consistency of the measurement, when this kind of procedure produces (nearly) identical measurements if the same individuals are measured under the same conditions

Test-retest reliability

The type of reliability that is established by comparing the scores obtained from two successive measurements of the same individuals and calculating a correlation between the two sets of scores.

Parallel-forms reliability

Test-retest reliability when alternative versions of the measuring instruments are used for the two measurements.

Inter-rater reliability

The degree of agreement between two observers who simultaneously record measurements of the behaviours.

Split-half reliability

Reliability that is obtained by splitting the items on a questionnaire or test in half, computing a separate score for each half, and then calculating the degree of consistency between the sores for a group of participants

The accuracy

The degree to which the measurements conforms to the established standard

Established standards

Standards that define precisely what it is meant by, e.g.: cm, m, litre, kg

Scale of measurement

The set of categories used to classify individuals into by means of a measurement procedure.

The process of measurement

It involves two components: a set of categories and a procedure for assigning individuals to categories.

The nominal scale

The categorie that represents qualitative (not quantitative) differences in the variable measured

The ordinal scale

The categories that have different names and are organized in an ordered series. E.g.: olympic medals

The interval scale

A scale that is organized sequentially and all categories have the same size enabling the determination of the distance between two points on the scale. Without any zero point or only an arbitrary one, e.g.: 0ºC.

The ratio scale

A scale that is organized sequentially and all categories have the same size enabling the determination of the distance between two points on the scale. With a zero point = none - a complete absence - of the variable being measured which means that we can measure the absolute amount of that variable, e.g.: reaction time in seconds.

Equivocal

not clear and seeming to have two opposing meanings, or confusing and able to be understood in two different ways, e.g.: IQ = ordinal or interval scale?

Self-report measure

The most direct way to assess a construct

Physiological measure

Measuring a construct by looking at the physiological manifestations of the underlying construct, e.g.: fear measured by GSR (Galvanic Skin Response)

Behavioural measures

When a construct reveals itself in overt behaviour that can be observed and measured

A range effect

When the scores obtained in a research study tend to cluster at the end of the measurement scale. This effect suggests a basic incompatibility between the measurement procedure and the individuals measured as the measurement is insensitive to changes that may occur in one direction.

Ceiling effect

The clustering of scores at the high end of a measurement scale, allowing little or no possibility of increase in value.

Floor effect

The clustering of scores at the low end of a measurement scale, allowing little or no possibility of decrease in value.

An artefact

A non-natural feature accidentally introduced into something being observed, e.g.: a doctor startling you with an ice-cold stethoscope trying to obtain an accurate heartbeat measurement.

Experimenter bias

Occurs when the measurements obtained in a study are influenced by the experimenter's expectations or personal beliefs regarding the outcome of the study.

Single-blind research

when the experimenter does not know the expected results.

Double-blind research

neither the participants nor the researcher knows the expected result

Study pre-registration

Specifying details of a study before it is conducted, which can include describing the hypotheses and outlining what data analyses will be done, how to identify, adjust or remove scores that are likely not a true reflection of the participants behaviour in the study.

Demand characteristics

Refers to (1) the influence on the participants responds or behaviour by potential cues of features of a study that (2) suggest to the participants what the purpose and hypothesis is.

Reactivity

When participants modify their natural behaviour in response to the fact that they are participating in a research study or the knowledge that they are being measured.

A field study

When participants are being observed in their natural environment and are much less likely to know that they are being investigated.

A field setting

A place that a participant or subject perceives as a natural environment.

A laboratory

Any setting that is obviously devoted to the discipline of science, it can be any room or any space that the subject or participant perceives as a natural environment

Forward-backward translation procedure

One approach in addressing translation issues in research where one translator translates the language from the original measure into the new language and a different translator translates this new measure back to the original language. If both, same language, versions are identical or barely differ, we assume the measure has not been greatly changed by the translation.

Concurrent validity

When scores obtained from a new measure are directly related to scores obtained from an established measure of the same variable.

Example 1: a new IQ test can be validated by showing it differentiates individuals in the same way as the established IQ-test.

Example 2: measuring height with a balance has some degree of it but is not really a valid measurement of height."

Acculturation

The process of adapting to a new culture.