Measuring%20Social%20Life

1
Measuring Social Life

• Ch. 5, pp. 112-137

2
Measuring Social Life

• Connecting the specifics you observe in the
  empirical world to an abstract idea you cannot
  see directly
• Inferring from this sample or measure to an
  entire population or to abstract ideas
• making generalizations

3
WHY MEASURE?

• Measurement transforms our ideas and general
  observations into specific and concrete data
• Measuring helps communicate thoughts and
  observations more effectively

4
MAKING ASPECTS OF THE SOCIAL WORLD VISIBLE

• Measurement extends the range of our senses
• Scientific measurement produces a more accurate
  measure than ordinary experience, and it varies
  less with the specific observer
• Measurement makes visible ideas that are
  otherwise unseen

5
MEASURING with NUMBERS or WORDS

• In all research, data is collected systematically
• Depending on whether data are quantitative or
  qualitative, the process differs in 4 ways
• Timing
• Direction
• Data form
• Linkages

6
Two Parts of the Measurement Process

• All measurement builds on two processes
• conceptualization
• operationalization

7
Conceptualization

• conceptualization "refining an idea by giving it
  a very clear, explicit definition" (117)
• conceptual definition "defining a variable or
  concept in theoretical terms with assumptions and
  references to other concepts" (118)

8
Operationalization

• operationalization "the process of linking a
  conceptual definition with a specific set of
  measures" (117)
• operational definition "defining a concept as
  specific operations or actions that you carry out
  to measure it" (117)

9
Quantitative Conceptualization
Operationalization

• Measuring quantitative data flows in a 3-part
  sequence
• conceptualization think through the idea and
  create a conceptual definition
• operationalization link the conceptual
  definition to specific measurement procedures
• measurement apply the operational definition to
  collect the data

10
The measurement process connects three levels of
reality, from abstract to concrete

• conceptual, operational, and empirical
• conceptual hypothesis stating a hypothesis with
  the variables as abstract concepts
• empirical hypothesis the hypothesis stated in
  terms of specific measures of variables

11
Racially biased policing determinants of citizen
perception

• Whether a person is a member of the dominant or
  nondominant racial group
• A persons belief that the police are or are not
  racially biased
• Number and type of experiences with the local
  police
• Amount of exposure to media reports about police
  actions of corruption or brutality

12
Fig. 5.1 Conceptualization Operationalization
Abstract Construct to Concrete Measure
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Hypothetical
Abstract Construct
Abstract Construct
Causal Relationship
theoretical level
Conceptualization
Conceptualization
Conceptual Definition
Conceptual Definition
operational level
Operationalization
Operationalization
Tested Empirical Hypothesis
empirical level
Indicator or Measure
Indicator or Measure
13
Qualitative Conceptualization and
Operationalization

• In qualitative research, you use basic working
  ideas during the data collection process,
  rethinking old ideas and developing new ideas
  based on observations
• Qualitative measurement is integrated with other
  parts of a study

14
Naturalization of white culture?

• naturalization means that a culturea set of
  values, outlooks, assumptionsis so fully taken
  for granted that it becomes invisible
• white culture is a culture associated with the
  white racial group

15
HOW TO CREATE GOOD MEASURES Reliability
Validity

• reliability a feature of measuresthe method of
  measuring is dependable and consistent
• validity a feature of measuresthe concept of
  interest closely matches the method used to
  measure it
• you are actually measuring what you say you are
  measuring

16
Measurement validity is the fit between
conceptual operational definitions

• Three types of measurement validity
• face validity
• content validity
• criterion validity

17
Putting Reliability and Validity Together

• Reliability is a necessary but not sufficient
  condition for validity
• ? You can have a reliable measure that is invalid