8-1

Part Two
THE DESIGN OF RESEARCH

8-2
McGraw-Hill/Irwin

2003 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.,All Rights

Chapter Eight
MEASUREMENT

8-3

Measurement
Selecting observable empirical events
Using numbers or symbols to represent
aspects of the events
Applying a mapping rule to connect the
observation to the symbol

8-4

What is Measured?
Objects:
Things of ordinary experience
Some things not concrete

Properties: characteristics of objects

8-5

Characteristics of Data

8-6

Classification
Order
Distance (interval between numbers)
Origin of number series

Data Types
Order Interval Origin
Nominal nonenonenone
Ordinal

yes unequal none

Interval yes equal or none

unequal
Ratio
yes equal
zero

8-7

Sources of Measurement Differences

8-8

Respondent
Situational factors
Measurer or researcher
Data collection instrument

Validity
Content Validity
Criterion-Related Validity
Predictive
Concurrent

Construct Validity

8-9

Reliability
Stability
Test-retest

Equivalence
Parallel forms

Internal Consistency
Split-half
KR20
Cronbachs alpha

8-10

Practicality
Economy
Convenience
Interpretability

8-11