LEVELS OF

MEASUREMENT,
VALIDITY AND
RELIABILITY
Levels of Measurement
Levels of measurement determine
which types of statistical analysis may
be used.
There are four types of measurements:
nominal,
ordinal,
interval and
ratio.
1. Nominal Level
 known as nominal scale is the lowest
level of measurement.
 numbers are assigned to objects or
events which can be placed into mutually
exclusive and exhaustive categories
 numbers assigned to the variables have
no meaning other than to classify objects
or events.
1. Nominal Level
Examples:

◦ province of residence,
◦ sex of respondents
◦ color of hair
 numbers assigned to the variables have
no meaning other than to classify objects
or events.
1. Nominal Level
Example of question that made use of
nominal level of measurement:

At which fastfood chain do you usually dine-

in?
1. Jollibee
2. McDonalds
3. Chowking
4. Others (please specify) _____________
2. Ordinal Level
 also called ordinal scale provides
more information than the nominal
level

numbers are assigned to objects or

events to categorize them and to
indicate a greater than or less than
relationships (transitive relationship)
2. Ordinal Level

In this scale, transitivity of the

variables exists however, the scale has
no absolute zero point and the distance
between scale values are not equal.
2. Ordinal Level

Example of a question with response at the

ordinal level of measurement:
Please rank the following drinks according to your
preference. Rank the drinks that you preferred most as
number 1 and the one you preferred least as number 6.
Drinks Rank
Juice _____
Milk _____
Chocolate _____
Softdrinks _____
Coffee _____
Tea _____
3. Interval Level
 also known as interval scale or equal
interval scale is level of measurement
wherein numbers are assigned to objects
or events which can be categorized,
ordered and assumed to have an equal
distance between scale values
a zero point is set for convenience and
does not mean the absence of the variable
Example: temperature
4. Ratio Level
 also called ratio scale or non-arbitrary
zero point
numbers are assigned to objects or events
which can be categorized, ordered,
assumed to have equal intervals between
scale points and have a real zero point
offers the most information of any of the
levels of measurement and are the
highest level of measurement
4. Ratio Level

Example of questions with responses at

the ratio level of measurement
What was your net income last year?
How many employees were hired in
2002?
What was the price per earnings
ratio?
The Four Levels of Measurements

Please see summary table

(Word format)
VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY
ESTIMATES
Validity
the accuracy of measurement
the degree to which an instrument measures
that which is supposed to measure

Reliability
the consistency of measurement
the degree to which an instrument measures
the same way each time it is used under the
same conditions with the same subjects
Validity and Reliability

Remember that an instrument might

show evidence of being:
◦ Both valid and reliable
◦ Reliable but not valid
◦ Neither valid nor reliable
VALIDITY ESTIMATES
1. Content Validity
Itis the representativeness of the
content of the instrument to the
objectives of using the instrument.
In this estimate, the major question is
to what degree does the content of the
instrument measures the objectives of
the instrument.
Process of Estimating Content
Validity

1. Examine the variables of interest

and list the tasks or skills or other
characteristics involved.
2. Add to the list the importance and
frequency of occurrence of each of
the tasks or skills.
Process of Estimating Content Validity

3. Reexamine the list and make sure that

all skills or tasks which are crucial to
the variable are included even if they
occur infrequently.
4. Compare each of the tasks or skills on
the list to the items of the measure to
ensure that each crucial and frequently
occurring task or skill is measured by at
least one item.
Process of Estimating Content
Validity

5. Examine each item of the measure

to ensure that the difficulty level is
appropriate for the variable being
measured.
2. Predictive Validity
Predictivevalidity is the degree to
which a measure predicts a second
future measure.

In this type of estimates, a predictor

variable predicts only one criterion
variable at a time, illustrating the
specific nature of validity.
2. Predictive Validity
When an instrument has evidence validity,
you must consider the ff questions:
(a) what variable it predicts?

(b) what type of subjects were given the

instrument for the validity assessment?
(c) how well does it predict the criterion?
Process of Estimating Content Validity

1. Gather scores on the predictor variable

from a group of subjects for whom the
instrument is appropriate.
2. Gather scores on the criterion
variable from the same sample at a later
time.
3. Compute a correlation coefficient
between the two sets of scores.
3. Concurrent Validity
the degree to which a measure
correlates with another measure of the
same variable which has already been
validated.
use to demonstrate validity without
going through the time and expense of
assessing either predictive or construct
validity
Process of Estimating Concurrent
Validity
1. Gather scores from the non-validated
instrument administered to a validity sample.
2. Gather scores on the criterion
variable from the same sample at a later time.
3. Compute a correlation coefficient
between the two sets of scores.
4. Construct Validity
The degree to which a measure
relates to expectations formed from
theory for hypothetical constructs
 Its purpose is to ascertain if the
measure of the variable of interest
can be assumed to be an accepted
measure
Process of Estimating Construct
Validity
1. Examine the theory associated with the
variable of interest.

2. Select several behaviors which the theory

indicates would differentiate subjects with
differing amounts of the variables.

3. Administer the instrument measuring the

variable of interest to the validity sample and
record the scores.
Process of Estimating Construct
Validity

4. Gather scores for the validity sample on

each of the behaviors selected in step 2.

5. Analyze the data using appropriate

statistical tests to ascertain if subjects scoring
high on the major variable and those scoring
low are statistically differentiated on each of
the selected criterion variable.
Process of Estimating Construct
Validity

6. Accept evidence of construct validity if each

of the statistical tests indicates a significant
difference or a significant relationship between
high and low scores on the major variable and
the criterion variables.

7. Examine reasons if construct validity is not

supported
RELIABILITY ESTIMATES
1. Test-retest
This type of estimate is indicated by a
correlation coefficient, computed from
scores on instrument administered at one
time and scores on the same instrument
administered at a later time to the sample.

The purpose of this test is to assess the

stability or consistency of them measure
over a period of time.
Test-retest
1. Administer the instrument to the
reliability sample at Time 1
2. Wait a period of time (e.g. 2-4 wk)
3. Administer copies of the same
instrument to the same sample at Time 2.

4. Correlate the scores from Time 1 and

Time 2.
2. Equivalent Forms Reliability

… indicated correlation, computed

between scores from 1 form of an
instrument and scores from a 2nd form
of the instrument administered to the
sample at approximately the same
time
 3. Equivalent Forms Reliability

1. Administer Form A to the sample

2. Break the sample for a short rest period
3. Administer Form B to the same sample

4. Correlate the scores from Form A and B

4. Split-half Reliability

… indicated by correlation of scores

from one-half of an instrument with
scores from the second half of the
instrument

… its purpose is to assess the

equivalence of one-half of an
instrument to be other half.
Split-half Reliability

1. Obtain or generate an instrument in which the two

halves were formulated to measure the same
variable.
2. Administer the instruments to the reliability
sample.
3. Correlate the summed scores from the first half
with the summed scores from the second half.

4. Compute the Spearman-Brown Coefficient

formula to correct for splitting one instrument
into halves.