VI' MEASUREMENT

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VI.MEASUREMENT
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A. Introduction

• 1. definition the process of assigning
  a counting scheme
• to units of
  analysis in order to analyze
  
• theoretical
  concepts
• 2. this is the process of actually moving
  from abstract
• theory to concrete, real world
  examples

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B. The Process

• 1. conceptualization
• a. T H I N K I N G
• b. create a mental image
• c. what do you see when someone is
  doing your
• problem? your concept?
• 2. identification / specification of
  indicators (naming your
• variable/s)
• a. what is it you are actually trying to
  measure?
• b. variable anything that can be
  measured

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• 1) these are the images,
  concepts, and questions
• you believe provide the
  solution to your problem
• 2) the process of identifying
  the relevant variables
• is called specification
  of indicators
• 3) the answers, elements,
  characteristics that make
• up any particular
  variable are its attributes
• 4) Dependent Variable the
  concept / phenomenon
• being
  explained or solved by your theory
• a) the specific
  focus of your research
• b) sometimes
  called the outcome variable

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• 5) Independent Variable/s
  the concept /
• phenomenon expected
  to have an effect on
• the concept /
  phenomenon you are studying
• a) those concepts
  considered that explain /
• solve your
  research problem
• b) sometimes called
  predictors or indicators
• 3. observations
• a. direct observables
• gt that which can be
  easily seen or identified
• b. indirect observables
• gt that which requires
  methodologically

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• 4. operationalization
• a. the creation of articulated
  definitions describing,
• explicitly, that which you
  will be measuring
• b. i.e., the creation of operational
  definitions
• 5. levels of measurement
• a. who, what, where are your
  units of analysis
• b. qualities of measures
• 1) exhaustive
• 
  2) mutually exclusive

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• c. types of measures
• 1) nominal
• 2) ordinal
• 3) interval
• 4) ratio

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C. The Model

• gt the thinking process

Nominal Categories
CONCEPT
Operational Definitions
REAL WORLD MEASUREMENTS
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D. Errors in Measurement(mistakes made by unit
of analysis)

• 1. the wrong answer
• 2. sources
• a. real error
• gt may be a hermeneutics issue
• b. bias
• 1) social desirability
• 2) Hawthorne Effect

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• 3. types of measurement error
• a. systematic predictable
• gt errors that may persist
  over time, place
• b. random unpredictable
• gt errors that occur
  inconsistently, through chance
• 4. controls for error
• a. check unit/s of analysis
• b. watch for experimenter bias
• c. check level of measurement
• d. caution precision v accuracy

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• 5. criteria for assessing quality of
  measures
• a. reliability
• 1) dependability
• 2) freedom from random error
  leads to more
• reliable information
• 3) improving reliability
• a) pretest
• b) triangulate
• c) eliminate
  distractions
• d) eschew obfuscation

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• b. validity
• 1) the assurance that the
  measure you take
• actually reflects that
  which you intend it to
• measure
• 2) systematic errors lead
  to problems of validity
• 3) unlike reliability
  problems, validity problems
• cannot be directly
  corrected
• 4) available checks
• a) consult with the
  available literature
• gt make sure your
  definitions are similar to
• others
• b) use your own best
  judgment

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• 5) types of validity
• a) subjective /
  face
• b) content
• c) criterion
  related
• d) construct

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E. Summary

• 1. measurement is your attempt to collect
  the
• information (data) you need to prove
  your point
• 2. failure of reliability random error
• 3. failure of validity systematic error
• 4. any concept has no definition other
  than the one you
• provide