Chapter 5
Conceptualization,
Operationalization, and
Measurement
Measurement
•
Careful, deliberate observations of the
real world for the purpose of describing
objects and events in terms of the
attributes composing a variable.
Conceptualization
•
•
•
Process of specifying what we mean
when we use particular terms.
Produces an agreed upon meaning for a
concept for the purposes of research.
Describes the indicators we'll use to
measure the concept and the different
aspects of the concept.
Indicators
•
•
An observation that we choose to
consider as a reflection of a variable we
wish to study.
For example, attending religious services
might be considered an indicator of
religiosity.
Dimension
•
•
A specifiable aspect of a concept.
“Religiosity,” for example, might be
specified in terms of a belief dimension, a
ritual dimension, a devotional dimension,
a knowledge dimension, and so forth.
Concept to Measurement
•
3 Forms of Measurement
• Nominal: describes a variable that has attributes
that are merely different
•
Ordinal: describes a variable with attributes we
can rank-order along some dimension.
•
Interval: describes a variable whose attributes
are rank-ordered and have equal distances between
adjacent attributes.
Kaplan’s Classes
Things Scientists Measure
• Direct observables - things that can be
observed simply and directly.
• Indirect observables - things that require
more subtle observations.
• Constructs - based on observations that
cannot be observed.
Measurement Quality
•
•
•
Precision and accuracy
Reliability
Validity
Reliability
•
•
Quality of measurement method that
suggests the same data would have been
collected in repeated observations.
The question “Did you attend religious
services last week?” would have higher
reliability than “About how many times
have you attended religious services in
your life?”
Tests for Checking Reliability
•
•
•
•
Test-retest method - take the same
measurement more than once.
Split-half method - make more than one
measurement of a social concept
(prejudice).
Use established measures.
Check reliability of research-workers.
Validity
•
A term describing a measure that accurately
reflects the concept it is intended to measure.
• Example: IQ would seem a more valid
measure of intelligence than the number of
hours spent in the library.
Ethics of Measurement
•
•
Most of the concepts of interest to social
researchers are open to varied meanings.
If personal bias made you want to
minimize support for a position, you might
be tempted to frame the concept and the
measurements based on it in biased
terms violating accepted research ethics.