PSY 301 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Operationalization, Operational Definition, Face Validity

• School: University of Oregon
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 301
• Professor: Dudukovic

Document Summary

Many of the phenomena psychologists are interested in are difficult to measure directly. Construct validity of measured variables is essential to any research study. Measured variables must be operationalized and then evaluated. Defining it at a conceptual level, then developing an operational definition such as do you think you have a good life where people answer questions. Self-report measure: recording people"s answers to questions about themselves in a questionnaire or interview. Observational measure (behavioral measure): recording observable behaviors or physical traces of behaviors. Physiological measures: recording biological data such as brain activity, hormone levels, or heart rate. : often times, more than one has to be done to operationalize a construct. Categorical: categories, nominal variables, levels with numbers without meaning. Ordinal scale: applies when numerals of quantitative variable represent a ranked order. Interval scale: applies to numerals of a quantitative variable that meet two conditions. Numerals represent equal intervals between levels and there is no true zero .