PSYC104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Confounding, Sampling Frame, Content Validity
30 May 2018
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Research Task 4 - Measurement
Measurement - a process through which researchers describe, explain and predict
what constructs daily life
Social Research - the relationship between the physical world (people) that is
captured by measurable data, and the meanings that people attach to those
concepts of interest
Conceptualisation
• Process of translating imprecise and ambiguous ideas into defined concepts
• The most important steps are to identify the key concepts so that they can be
operationalised
• The concepts must be accurately represented in the research question by a
measurement process
• The aim must be to generate data which can be used to examine the question
Importance of Key Concepts
• Research should make clear its key concepts and should be stated easily
• They represent the area or domain of knowledge
• Should be derived and based explicitly on the literature review
• Researcher must make sure to define their key concepts
Operationalisation
• The process of deciding what particular data will indicate the presence of a
particular concept
• Means to take a variable from theoretical to concrete meaning by defining the
variable in terms of procedures used by the researcher to measure the
variable
• A researcher must be able to justify their choice of operation
• It is a bridge between the conceptual world and reality
• The indicators become the variables of the research
Operational Definitions and Research
• Involves rules for moving between data and concepts
• Theory that guides the identification of what data is collected and how it is
interpreted (deductive orientated research)
• Initial conceptualisation based on the data and observations that are available
(inductive logic)
Measurement Problems
Meaning
• Meaning depends on a wide variety of conditions and is open to
disagreements
• Culture is a key aspect of measuring meaning
• Problem of how to measure
Multidimensionality
• How can concepts be defined, single or multiple dimensions e.g. subjective
feelings and behaviour
• Often can only be measured in a few dimensions and choice is important
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Measurement - a process through which researchers describe, explain and predict what constructs daily life. Social research - the relationship between the physical world (people) that is captured by measurable data, and the meanings that people attach to those concepts of interest. It is a bridge between the conceptual world and reality. Involves rules for moving between data and concepts: theory that guides the identification of what data is collected and how it is interpreted (deductive orientated research) Initial conceptualisation based on the data and observations that are available (inductive logic) Meaning: meaning depends on a wide variety of conditions and is open to disagreements, culture is a key aspect of measuring meaning, problem of how to measure. Multidimensionality: how can concepts be defined, single or multiple dimensions e. g. subjective feelings and behaviour, often can only be measured in a few dimensions and choice is important.
