PSYCH291 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Observer-Expectancy Effect, Likert Scale, Cluster Sampling
2 Nov 2016
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Document Summary
Conceptual variables: researchers definition of the variable in question at the theoretical level. Operational definition: researchers specific decision about how to measure or manipulate the conceptual variable. The conceptual variable of happiness is defined as subjective well-being. It is then operationalized by people ranking their own happiness by completing a self survey and answering questions by ranking them from 1 to 7, 1 being strongly disagree to 7 strongly agree. The happiest people will score 35, the saddest people will score 5 and average people will score 20. There are many ways to operationalize a variable you must choose the one you find the most efficient. Common types of measure: self report measures- people recording questions about themselves in a questionnaire or interview, observational measures-recording observable behaviours or physical traces of behaviour. For example with happiness measure how many times you observe someone smile: physiological measures- recordings of biological data such as brain activity, hormone levels or heart rate.
