Applied Research Approaches in Health Studies: Advanced Seminar

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to applied research approaches in health studies, particularly focusing on measurement validity and reliability.

What is a "construct" in psychological measurement?

A theoretical concept or attribute that is not directly observable but is inferred from observable behaviors or variables. Examples include intelligence, anxiety, job satisfaction, or motivation.

What is measurement in the context of psychometrics?

The process of assigning numbers or symbols to observations or behaviors according to a set of rules, aiming to quantify psychological constructs accurately and systematically.

What are observed variables?

Variables that can be directly measured or observed, such as performance on a specific test item, a self-reported rating on a questionnaire, or a physiological response.

What are latent variables?

Theoretical constructs that cannot be directly observed or measured, but are inferred from observed variables. For instance, "intelligence" is a latent variable inferred from scores on various cognitive tasks.

What are Psychometric Properties?

The scientific characteristics that define the quality and utility of a measurement instrument or test. These properties primarily include reliability and validity, which are crucial for ensuring the accuracy and meaningfulness of research findings.

What is Reliability?

The consistency and stability of a measurement instrument. A reliable measure produces consistent results when applied repeatedly under the same conditions, assuming the construct being measured has not changed.

What is Test-Retest Reliability?

A type of reliability that assesses the consistency of a measure over time. It is determined by administering the same test or measure to the same group of individuals on two separate occasions and correlating the scores.

What is Internal Consistency Reliability?

A type of reliability that assesses the consistency of results across items within a test. It measures whether different items measuring the same construct yield similar results. Common measures include Cronbach's Alpha and Split-Half Reliability.

How is Cronbach's Alpha used in internal consistency?

A widely used coefficient to estimate internal consistency reliability. It measures how closely related a set of items are as a group, indicating their coherence in measuring a single, unidimensional construct.

What is Inter-Rater Reliability (or Inter-Observer Reliability)?

A type of reliability that assesses the consistency of ratings or observations made by different observers or raters measuring the same phenomenon. It is crucial when subjective judgment is involved in data collection.

What is Construct Validity?

The extent to which a test or measure accurately assesses the underlying theoretical construct it is designed to measure. It is a unifying concept that encompasses various types of validity evidence, demonstrating the soundness of the construct's operationalization.

What is Face Validity?

The extent to which a measure appears to assess the construct it is designed to measure, based on a superficial inspection by non-experts or test-takers. It's often considered a subjective, non-statistical form of validity that can influence acceptance and motivation.

What is Content Validity?

The degree to which the items or content of a test adequately and representatively sample the entire domain or universe of the construct being measured. It typically involves expert judgment to ensure comprehensive coverage and relevance of items.

How do Face Validity and Content Validity differ?

Face validity refers to whether a test looks like it measures what it's supposed to, often from a layperson's perspective. Content validity, on the other hand, is a more rigorous, expert-driven assessment of whether the test items comprehensively cover the entire domain of the construct.

What is Criterion-related Validity?

The extent to which a measure predicts or correlates with an external criterion that is considered a gold standard or relevant outcome. It can be further divided into concurrent and predictive validity.

What is Concurrent Validity?

A type of criterion-related validity that assesses how well a new measure correlates with an existing, well-established measure of the same construct, administered at approximately the same time.

What is Predictive Validity?

A type of criterion-related validity that assesses how well a measure predicts a future outcome or criterion behavior. For example, a college entrance exam's predictive validity is its ability to forecast future academic success.

What is Convergent Validity?

A subtype of construct validity, demonstrating that a measure is positively correlated with other measures that theoretically measure the same or similar constructs. High correlations suggest the measures are converging on the same construct.

What is Discriminant Validity (or Divergent Validity)?

A subtype of construct validity, demonstrating that a measure is weakly or not correlated with other measures that theoretically measure different or unrelated constructs. Low correlations suggest the measure is distinct from other constructs.

Provide an example illustrating Convergent and Discriminant Validity together.

If developing a new measure of "Extraversion," convergent validity would be shown by its correlation with existing extraversion scales, while discriminant validity would be shown by its low correlation with scales measuring unrelated constructs like "Neuroticism" or "Conscientiousness."

What are different Scales of Measurement (Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio)?

Categories that describe the nature of information within the values assigned to variables. They determine which statistical analyses are appropriate for a given variable.

What is a Nominal Scale of Measurement?

The lowest level of measurement, where numbers are used only as labels to identify categories. There is no order or numerical meaning (e.g., gender, political affiliation).

What is an Ordinal Scale of Measurement?

A scale where numbers indicate rank order, but the differences between ranks are not necessarily equal or meaningful (e.g., educational level: high school, bachelor's, master's).

What is an Interval Scale of Measurement?

A scale where numbers represent ordered units with equal intervals between them, but there is no true or absolute zero point (e.g., Celsius temperature, IQ scores).

What is a Ratio Scale of Measurement?

The highest level of measurement, possessing all properties of an interval scale, plus a true zero point, meaning ratios are meaningful (e.g., height, weight, income).

What does it mean for response options to be Mutually Exclusive?

In a survey or measurement, response options are mutually exclusive if participants can select only one option, and no option overlaps in meaning with another. For example, age ranges like "18-24" and "25-30" are mutually exclusive.

What does it mean for response options to be Exhaustive?

In a survey or measurement, response options are exhaustive if they cover all possible responses or categories, ensuring that every participant can find an appropriate choice. For example, age ranges should cover all possible ages relevant to the target population.

What is Job Satisfaction?

A complex psychological state reflecting an individual's affective and cognitive evaluations of their job and work experiences. It's a key construct measured in organizational psychology, often using multi-faceted scales to capture different aspects like pay, supervision, or work itself.