Step 3 of the Research Process: Defining and Measuring Variables

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to defining and measuring variables, focusing on constructs, operational definitions, validity, reliability, and different scales and modalities of measurement.

Construct

An abstract or hypothetical attribute or mechanism that cannot directly be observed or measured.

Operational Definition

A specific statement that defines how to measure or manipulate a construct.

Validity

The degree to which a measurement accurately reflects what it is intended to measure.

Reliability

The consistency of a measurement; it produces identical results under the same conditions.

Nominal Scale

A scale of measurement that categorizes data without order or direction.

Ordinal Scale

A scale of measurement that categorizes data with an ordered relationship but does not indicate magnitude.

Interval Scale

A scale of measurement that has equal intervals between points but does not have a true zero point.

Ratio Scale

A scale of measurement that has a true zero point and equal intervals, allowing for comparisons by ratio.

Face Validity

A type of validity that assesses whether a measurement appears to measure what it claims to measure based on subjective evaluation.

Convergent Validity

A type of validity that occurs when two methods measuring the same construct produce strongly related scores.

Divergent Validity

A type of validity that demonstrates that a measurement assesses one specific construct and not a combination.

Test-Retest Reliability

An estimate of consistency between two consecutive measurements using the same instrument.

Inter-rater Reliability

The consistency of ratings between two or more observers assessing the same behavior.

Split-half Reliability

An estimate of internal consistency measured by comparing scores from two halves of a questionnaire.

Observer Error

Human error introduced by the individual making measurements.

Environmental Changes

Variations in the testing environment that can affect measurements, such as temperature or noise.

Participant Changes

Variations in a participant's state, such as mood or fatigue, that can impact the measurement.

Self-report Measurement

A modality that asks participants to describe their feelings directly.

Physiological Measurement

A modality that measures biological responses, such as heart rate or brain activity.

Behavioral Measurement

A modality that observes natural or structured responses of participants.

Construct Validity

The degree to which a measurement behaves like the variable it is supposed to measure.