Deck 3: Conceptualization and Measurement

Question 1

There are five types of measurement scales.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Ordinal-level variables are usually considered to be continuous variables.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Ill-defined categories are problematic for constructing scales.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Variables are empirical, whereas concepts are abstract.

Question 5

Conceptualization is the practice of identifying different dimensions of a concept.

Question 6

Likert-type scales are a common type of continuous scale.

Question 7

We should develop scales that are incomplete, ambiguous, or overlapping in some way.

Question 8

Measurement validity simply means that something measures or reflects what it is intended to.

Question 9

Variables are abstract ideas that are observed indirectly, through concepts.

Question 10

The first step of concept measurement is operationalization.

Question 11

Analysts must justify their choices about the conceptualization and operationalization of study concepts.

Question 12

In conceptualization, no correct number of dimensions or variables exists, only bad or lacking ones.

Question 13

The theorem of the interchangeability of indicators states that most concepts have three to five dimensions.

Question 14

An index variable is a variable that combines the values of other variables into a single indicator or score.

Question 15

Index variables are also commonly used to empirically measure abstract concepts and multifaceted, encompassing phenomena.

Question 16

The term measurement variable refers to the (observed) variables that make up the index.

Question 17

Face validity means that index variables encompass a broad range of aspects.

Question 18

Comparison with external sources is sometimes called criterion (or external) validity.

Question 19

Cronbach α (also called α or measure α) is a statistical measure of internal validity.

Question 20

When one measurement variable has a missing value for an observation, a value of 0 is assigned to the index variable for that observation.

Question 21

Cronbach α values of .70 or higher are acceptable.

Question 22

Analysts are expected to use some strategy to assess measurement validity.