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    Measurement of Variables: Operational Definition and Scales

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    Fred The Fish
    This document discusses operational definitions and scales used to measure variables. It explains that while physical measurements are straightforward, measuring subjective concepts like attitudes requires operationalizing abstract ideas into observable behaviors. An operational definition delineates the dimensions and elements of a concept. Scales help distinguish how individuals differ on variables and come in nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio types that allow different levels of mathematical operations and comparisons between values. Choosing the most powerful appropriate scale aids measurement.

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    Measurement of Variables: Operational Definition and Scales

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    Fred The Fish
    68 views18 pages
    This document discusses operational definitions and scales used to measure variables. It explains that while physical measurements are straightforward, measuring subjective concepts like attitudes requires operationalizing abstract ideas into observable behaviors. An operational definition delineates the dimensions and elements of a concept. Scales help distinguish how individuals differ on variables and come in nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio types that allow different levels of mathematical operations and comparisons between values. Choosing the most powerful appropriate scale aids measurement.

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    This document discusses operational definitions and scales used to measure variables. It explains that while physical measurements are straightforward, measuring subjective concepts like attitudes requires operationalizing abstract ideas into observable behaviors. An operational definition delineates the dimensions and elements of a concept. Scales help distinguish how individuals differ on variables and come in nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio types that allow different levels of mathematical operations and comparisons between values. Choosing the most powerful appropriate scale aids measurement.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    68 views18 pages

    Measurement of Variables: Operational Definition and Scales

    Uploaded by

    Fred The Fish
    This document discusses operational definitions and scales used to measure variables. It explains that while physical measurements are straightforward, measuring subjective concepts like attitudes requires operationalizing abstract ideas into observable behaviors. An operational definition delineates the dimensions and elements of a concept. Scales help distinguish how individuals differ on variables and come in nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio types that allow different levels of mathematical operations and comparisons between values. Choosing the most powerful appropriate scale aids measurement.

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    of 18

    CH.

    8
    MEASUREMENT OF
    VARIABLES:
    OPERATIONAL
    DEFINITION AND SCALES
    How Variables Are Measured
    • Objects that can be physically measured by
    some calibrated instruments pose no
    measurement problems.
    • Data representing several demographic
    characteristics are also easily obtained
    • Certain things lend themselves to easy
    measurement through the use of appropriate
    measuring instruments
    How Variables Are Measured
    (Cont’d)
    • But the measurement of people’s subjective
    feelings, attitudes, and perceptions becomes
    difficult.
    • Despite the lack of physical measuring
    devices, there are ways of tapping the
    subjective feelings and perceptions of
    individuals.
    How Variables Are Measured
    (Cont’d)
    • One technique is to reduce the abstract
    notions or concepts to observable behavior
    and characteristics.
    • Reduction of abstract concepts to render
    them measurable in a tangible way is called
    operationalizing the concepts.
    Operational Definition:
    Dimensions and Elements
    • Concepts
    • Dimensions
    • Elements
    Operational Definition:
    Dimensions and Elements (Cont’d)
    What an
    Operational Definition is Not
    • Operationally defining a concept does not
    consist of delineating the reasons,
    antecedents, consequences, or correlates of
    the concept.
    • Rather, it describes its observable
    characteristics in order to be able to
    measure the concept
    Scales
    • A scale is a tool or mechanism by which
    individuals are distinguished as to how they
    differ from one another on the variables of
    interest to our study
    Types of Scales
    Nominal
    Nominal

    Ordinal
    Ordinal

    Interval
    Interval

    Ratio
    Ratio
    Levels of Measurement
    Classification
    Classification
    Nominal
    Nominal

    Ordinal
    Ordinal

    Interval
    Interval

    Ratio
    Ratio
    Nominal Scale

    • A nominal scale is the one that allow the


    researcher to assign subjects to certain
    categories or groups.
    • For example: gender (male and female).
    Levels of Measurement
    Classification
    Classification
    Nominal
    Nominal

    Classification
    Classification
    Ordinal
    Ordinal Order
    Order

    Interval
    Interval

    Ratio
    Ratio
    Ordinal Scale
    • An ordinal scale not only categorizes the variables
    in such a way as to denote difference among the
    various categories, it also rank-orders the
    categories in some meaningful way.
    • For example: indicate the preferences by ranking
    the importance of several distinct characteristics
    • Ordinal scale does not give any indication of the
    magnitude of the differences among the ranks.
    Levels of Measurement
    Classification
    Classification
    Nominal
    Nominal

    Classification
    Classification
    Ordinal
    Ordinal Order
    Order
    Classification
    Classification Distance
    Distance
    Interval
    Interval Order
    Order

    Ratio
    Ratio
    Interval Scale
    • An interval scale allows us to perform
    certain mathematical operations on the data
    collected from respondents.
    • Characteristics of nominal and ordinal
    scales plus the concept of equality of
    interval.
    • Equal distance exists between numbers
    • The origin could be any arbitrary number
    Levels of Measurement
    Classification
    Classification
    Nominal
    Nominal

    Classification
    Classification
    Ordinal
    Ordinal Order
    Order
    Classification
    Classification Distance
    Distance
    Interval
    Interval Order
    Order
    Classification
    Classification Distance
    Distance
    Ratio
    Ratio Order
    Order Natural
    NaturalOrigin
    Origin
    Ratio Scale

    • The ratio scale overcomes the disadvantage


    of the arbitrary origin point of the interval
    scale, in that it has an absolute zero point,
    which is a meaningful measurement point.
    • It is the most powerful of the four scales.
    Scales

    • Whenever it is possible to use a more


    powerful scale than a less one, it is wise to
    do so.

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