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Measurements

Measurements. What are two general ways that variables can be measured?. (1) Categorical and (2) Numerical Name the four types of scales/levels that are used in measuring a variable in the social sciences: (1) Nominal, (2) ordinal--categorical (3) ratio, and (4) interval--numerical.

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Measurements

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  1. Measurements

  2. What are two general ways that variables can be measured? • (1) Categorical and • (2) Numerical • Name the four types of scales/levels that are used in measuring a variable in the social sciences: • (1) Nominal, (2) ordinal--categorical • (3) ratio, and (4) interval--numerical

  3. What kind of scale can be used to answer the following questions? • How many basket ball games did you watch last weekend?RATIO • How did Jessica estimate the income levels of all basketball players? INTERVAL • How satisfied are students with social services at Minnesota State University? Very Satisfied, Satisfied, Dissatisfied, Don’t know.ORDINAL • Which of the following basketball games did you watch last week? Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Miami vs. Ohio, Texas vs. Indiana. NOMINAL

  4. Exhaustive and mutually exclusive categories of variables • Exhaustive categories: cover all the potential range of variation in a variable, • i.e., respondents with extreme position on one variable should be able to place themselves within one of the categories. E.g. Catholic; Protestant; Muslim; Other • Mutually exclusive categories: categories of variable that must be distinct from one another, • i.e., no respondent should be able to place himself or herself into more than one category (religion). E.g. Catholic; Protestant; Muslim

  5. What is the difference between an index and a scale? • An index is a composite measure developed to represent components of a concept. • E.g. a test score—objective (multiple-choice test)—add the correct answers = index • A scale is a composite measure of a concept, based on some aspect of the intensity • E.g. multiple choice exam, i.e., from easiest to hardest questions which are correctly answered • then instructor can conclude that the student (s) understood or studied the material better than others.

  6. Difference between an index and a scale is that a scale takes into consideration not only how each item is answered (right or wrong, true or false) but also patterns that the answers present, as stated above (multiple choice test answers).

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