Chapter 5: Developing Measures - Making the Abstract Concrete §

(F) Day of the week: Friday Class: IS303 Created Time: November 20, 2020 5:36 PM Database: Class Notes Database Date: November 20, 2020 5:36 PM Days Till Date: Passed Last Edited Time: June 9, 2021 10:42 AM Type: Reading Notes

1. The Nature of Concepts §

Concepts: the mental connection for associating and categorizing ideas, places, things…

They enable us to give and receive info efficiently

• $\infty$ Infinite
• Marriage
• Climate Change…

Construct: are mental concepts that aren’t directly observable or not in the real world.

Theories consist of a series of propositions about relationships between concepts.

2. Bringing Theory Down to Earth §

To test those theories using empirical evidence:

• Deductive research: research conducted to test established theories
• Inductive research: research starting from empirical evidence to form a new theory.

The Measurement Process: the process of transforming concepts into concrete and tangible variables.

Ex: Concept of Education, variable of years spent studying.

2.1. Conceptualization §

To give a clear definition to the concept, to efficiently communicate

To figure out Nominal Definition or theoretical definition

• To check dictionary
• Guidebook, standard book
• Previous studies’ definitions

2.2. Operationalization §

The process of assigning reasonable or measurable indicators/variables to measure the concept

2.2.1. Nature of Getting Data §

The Level of Measurement §

Deciding the level at which we will measure our variables (surveys)

Measurement: to numerically translate abstract concepts into concrete variables

• Numerical: attaching numbers to values of variables

Why use numbers?

• We use numerical measurements every day, therefore researchers will use them to look at specific variables as well
• Researchers use it because it gives precision to the measurement process
• Advance the cause of statistical analysis: requiring meaningful numbers in measurements

Problems

• Numbers might not fit the variable (gender: male/female, 1/2)
• Religious, political, race, ethnicity, marital status

Therefore researchers distinguishes various levels of measurements as

• nominal
• ordinal
• interval
• ratio

Nominal Level of Measurement §

The number attached are for identifying different labels

Nominal variables have values that are qualitative. Meaning that they are just labels to differentiate them from one another.

There’s no ranking or hierarchy.

Still, normally the labels are still attached to numbers in question surveys…

Such as Gender

1. Male
2. Femal

Religion

1. Buddhism
2. Hinduism
3. Christianity
4. Muslim

Ordinal Level of Measurement §

The numbers attached are for

• Identifying labels
• Ranking or ordering values

Ordinal variables have values that are in order, different from the nominal level.

The numbers attached to each label would mean their value in comparison with other labels.

Which comes first, second… and last

How would you describe your interest in politics?

1. No Interest
2. Low
3. Moderate
4. High

Interval Level of Measurement §

It express 3 properties of a variable

• Identity: what the actual number is
• Order/Magnitude: what it’s ranking is compared to other of it’s type
• Equal Interval Property: the equal distance between each number

Interval variables have values that changes at the same rate every time.

We use it to measure things like temperature, we know that 28$°$C is exactly 2$°$ below 30$°$C, and it doesn’t change if you move it somewhere else like between 8 and 10$°$

Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio Scales with Examples | QuestionPro

Ratio Level of Measurement §

Ratio Level happens if it requires counting to measure it

It expresses all 4 properties of a variable

• Identity: differentiating between them
• Rank/Order: to put in ascending order/low to high
• Equal Interval: the equal distance between each value
• Meaningful Zero: when 0 is also an option

How many books did you read last year?

A. 0

B. 1

C. 2

D. 3

E. 4