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CONCEPTS TO MEASUREMENTS

by Dr. Ronald M. Henson PUP, College of Communication

Conceptions, Conceptualization, Concepts


Conception: mental images not communicated directly, terms written in the upper right-hand corner of our own mental sheets of paper as a way of communicating about things we observe, terms that we communicate and eventually agree on their meanings Conceptualization: process of coming to an agreement about what terms to use - bridges direct and indirect observables to useful constructs, the process through which we specify what we mean when we use a particular term in research - produces a specific agreement on meaning for a concept for the purposes of research, describing the indicators to be used to measure the concept, and the different aspects of the concept, called dimensions Concept: result of conceptualization

Concepts as Constructs: Abraham Kaplan (1964)

distinguishes three classes of concepts that we measure: First classdirect observables, things we can observe rather simply and directly Second classindirect observables, require relatively more subtle, complex, or indirect observations, while we are not present, someone else has indicated what happened Third classconstructs, theoretical creations that are based on observations but that cannot be observed directly or indirectly (e.g. IQ, prejudice, social class etc.) Concepts are constructs derived by mutual agreement from mental images (conceptions) that summarize collections of seemingly related observations and experiences. Although the observations and experiences are real, at least subjectively, conceptions, and the concepts derived from them, are only mental creations. Concepts only have the meanings that people agree to give them. Reification: regards concepts as real, discovering their real meanings, and what constitutes a genuine measurement of them, science gives concepts clear meanings agreed upon and what is being measured Constructs are real in that they are useful, help make predictions about real things, and have a definite relationship to things that are real and observable.

What Is Conceptualization?
start with abstract ideas: e.g. democracy, effectiveness, volunteerism, citizen satisfaction, high school violence rigor with which study concepts are defined, like level of anger or high school violence which enhances the validity of conceptualizing before measuring

What Is Measurement?

foundation of science and knowledge to increase the validity of quantitative and analytical work through indicators and dimensions

Measurement

careful, deliberate observations of the real world for the purpose of describing objects and events in terms of the attributes composing a variable Most of the variables we want to study seldom have a single, unambiguous meaning. - Indicator - a sign of the presence or absence of the concept under study, whenever we take our concepts seriously and set about specifying what we mean by them, we discover disagreements, inconsistencies, degrees, or kinds - Dimension: a specifiable aspect of a concept which can be grouped and sub-grouped, often paves the way for a more sophisticated understanding of what were studying Resolving conflicts: reasoning, manipulation, violence (dimension)

Measurement Validity

something measures or reflects what it is intended to, by making clear about what is being studied, and its measurability

Concept-Valuing Tandem
variables belong to the realm of directly observable phenomena concepts belong to the realm of ideas concepts are abstract ideas that are observed through variables

Defining Variables and Attributes


a variable is composed of attributes that are the characteristics used to measure it each variable must have two important qualifications: - First, the attributes composing it must be exhaustive, must be able to classify every observation in terms of one of the attributes composing the variable. - Second, the attributes must be mutually exclusive and every observation must be classified in terms of one and only one attribute.

Two Steps in Concept Measurement


Be

clear about the meaning of the concept and, identify all its dimensions, called conceptualization. Identify and define the variables with measures (dimension and indicators)

Measurement Scale
collection of attributes used to measure a specific variable, e.g. gender is commonly measured on a scale by attributes male and female definition of the nature of information about variables, e.g. income exact or bracket measurement varies greatly, some are unique to the variables they measure, like the Richter scale, which measures the strength of earthquakes many with different purposes, such as response scales found in survey questionnaires (Likert scale)

Why Level of Measurement?


it determines the selection of test statistics it affects the amount of information collected about variables it affects how survey and other types of questions are phrased

Levels of Measurement

1) nominal-level scale exhibits no ordering among the categories, with the least amount of information, just labels (e.g. sex, religion) 2) ordinal-level scale exhibits order among categories though without exact distances between successive categories, order means that categories can be compared as being more or less than one another (e.g. education, income, age) ordinal- and nominal-level variables are called categorical (or discrete) variables - Likert scales are a common type of ordinal scale, developed in 1932 by Professor Rensis Likert, staple in surveys that measure attitudes (Strongly Agree, Agree, Somewhat Agree, Dont Know, Somewhat Disagree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree), order but does not say how much more dont know or cant say, forces respondents to answer which is objectionable academically - fails to measure accurately the responses of those who genuinely dont know or cant say while overestimating adjacent categories

Scale Variations
I. Please indicate your agreement with the following statements, using the following scale: 7 = Strongly Agree 3 = Somewhat Disagree 6 = Agree 2 = Disagree 5 = Somewhat Agree 1 = Strongly Disagree 4 = Dont Know / Cant Say a) Students who are violent should be removed from class. b) I would like us to have anger management classes c) There should be an after-school homework assistance program.

Levels of Measurement

3) interval- and ratio-level scales exhibit both order and distance among categories, like someone who exercises daily does so seven times more often than someone who exercises only weekly. Someone who earns P75,000 per year makes exactly three times that of someone making P25,000. The only difference between interval and ratio scales is that the latter have a true zero (for example, income can be zero, but IQ cannot). The distinction between ratio- and interval-level variables is typically of little relevance

- Variables with interval- and ratio-level scales are called continuous variables. In general, it is better to have more information about variables than less. Therefore, continuouslevel scales are preferred over discrete scales

Please use the following scale: 7 = Very Satisfied 3 = Somewhat Dissatisfied 6 = Satisfied 2 = Dissatisfied 5 = Somewhat Satisfied 1 = Very Dissatisfied 4 = Dont Know / Cant Say - Basketball courts - Computer lab - School library How frequently do you use the following school services? 7 = Very Frequently 3 = Very Rarely 6 = Frequently 2 = Never 5 = Occasionally 1 = Dont Know 4 = Rarely - School counselor - School nurse - School librarian

Examples of Continuous Scales How satisfied are you with the following school facilities?

Scales Are Precise, Avoid These!

incomplete scale - might omit zero as


a response category when asking respondents how many smoke-belching vehicles they witnessed ambiguous scale - asks respondents to answer a question on the presence of rumor in office on a scale of 1 to 10 without defining each value overlapping scale at least one response is covered by more than one category. An example of such a scale is one that measures income with brackets P20,000P40,000 and P40,000P60,000 (use P20,000P39,999)

Writing The Quantitative Report


Collect the reports, the subject matter is less important than the depth and nature of analysis, the report length, and its methodological sophistication; and determine organization of the reports, and types of graphs and tables presented. Develop an outline, and strategy on what you need to write, consists of executive summary, introduction, literature review, methods, results, conclusion, and appendices, piecemeal writing but literature review is particularly helpful in that it brings to what others have done before. Language matters, words that come to you first may not be or sound very professional, so make several drafts (10 or 20), written technically in the third person, using the active voice and present tense, present your ideas clearly and concisely. Use short sentences rather than long and convoluted ones. Detail the report, check the grammar, and format to make it look professional.

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