CH 1-3

Question 1

Give two reasons for studying measurement

Answer 1

1. create flexibility 2. improve communication

Question 2

Define “measurement”

Answer 2

Measurement consists of rules for assigning symbols to objects so as to scale or classify attributes

Question 3

Describe the scaling aspect of measurement

Answer 3

representing quantities of attributes numerically

Question 4

Describe the classification aspect of measurement

Answer 4

defining whether the objects fall in the same or different categories with respect to a given attribute

Question 5

Ordinal Scale

Answer 5

variables whose categories have a meaningful, hierarchical order

Question 6

Interval Scale

Answer 6

variables whose order has meaning and the numbers used to represent the attribute have meaning; no true zero point

Question 7

Nominal Scale

Answer 7

used to classify variables that can be placed in categories , characterized by kind

Question 8

Ratio Scale

Answer 8

variables whose order has meaning and the numbers used to represent the attribute have meaning; true zero point

Question 9

Reliability

Answer 9

consistency; does the instrument produce scores that are internally consistent or stable across time?

Question 10

Validity

Answer 10

legitimacy; does the instrument measure what it is intended to measure?

Question 11

What are the four primary methods of measuring health behaviors?

Answer 11

1. Self-report 2. Observation 3. Biobehavioral measure 4. Electronic monitors

Question 12

List some examples of self-report.

Answer 12

1. Interviews 2. Questionnaires 3. Journals/Diaries 4. Response Scales 5. Indexes

Question 13

List some examples of scaling methods.

Answer 13

1. Visual Analog Scale 2. Thurstone Scale 3. Likert Scale 4. Guttman Scale 5. Semantic Differential Rating Scale

Question 14

Measurement Error

Answer 14

the degree to which a measure deviates from the ideal level of reliability and validity

Question 15

Random Error

Answer 15

error that is due to chance factors that influence the measurement of a variable; affects the reliability of a measurement

Question 16

Systematic Error

Answer 16

error that is due to factors that systematically increase or decrease true scores of an attribute; affects the validity of a measure; can be additive or correlational

Question 17

Additive Systematic Error

Answer 17

a consistent deviation from the true score in the same direction (e.g. a scale that always adds 2 pounds to the actual weight)

Question 18

Correlational Systematic Error

Answer 18

measures consistently inflate or deflate scores but do so in different ways for different responders (e.g. some subjects answers may be consistently more positive)

Question 19

Response Sets

Answer 19

patterns of responses or bias in responses

Question 20

What are the types of response sets?

Answer 20

1. Social Desirability 2. Acquiescence and Nay-Saying 3. End Aversion/Central Tendency 4. Positive Skew 5. Halo

Question 21

Social Desirability

Answer 21

the tendency of subjects to attribute socially desirable traits to themselves; e.g. faking-good or faking bad

Question 22

Acquiescence and Nay-Saying

Answer 22

the tendency of subjects to choose true over false or agree over disagree (or the opposite)

Question 23

End Aversion/Central Tendency

Answer 23

avoidance of extremes (e.g. rarely picking strongly agree/disagree)

Question 24

Positive Skew

Answer 24

the tendency of people to hold extreme attitudes about a topic

Question 25

Halo

Answer 25

the tendency for rating of specific traits to be influenced by a general attitude, or set, toward a person (e.g. course evaluations)

Question 26

Recall

Answer 26

a major source of self-report error in which the ability and motivation of respondents to provide accurate information about behaviors or events that occurred in the past

Question 27

A graphic rating scale that uses a straight line and gives a numeric score based on the distance from one end of the line to the subject's response

Answer 27

Visual Analog Scale

Question 28

A rating scale that pre-weights items to generate a score for endorsed items

Answer 28

Thurston Scale

Question 29

A summated rating scale that uses several items to asses a single attribute through adding individual response ratings to obtain a single score

Answer 29

Likert Scale

Question 30

A rating scale structured so that an affirmative response to one item in a set suggests affirmative responses to other items in that set. Total score is obtained by adding all the affirmative answers

Answer 30

Guttman Scale

Question 31

A rating scale that assesses meaning. To score this scale, response numbers are reversed and added.

Answer 31

Semantic Differential Rating Scale

Question 32

variables whose categories have a meaningful, hierarchical order

Answer 32

Ordinal Scale

Question 33

variables whose order has meaning and the numbers used to represent the attribute have meaning; no true zero point

Answer 33

Interval Scale

Question 34

used to classify variables that can be placed in categories , characterized by kind

Answer 34

Nominal Scale

Question 35

variables whose order has meaning and the numbers used to represent the attribute have meaning; true zero point

Answer 35

Ratio Scale

Question 36

the tendency of subjects to attribute socially desirable traits to themselves; e.g. faking-good or faking bad

Answer 36

Social Desirability

Question 37

the tendency of subjects to choose true over false or agree over disagree (or the opposite)

Answer 37

Acquiescence and Nay-Saying

Question 38

avoidance of extremes (e.g. rarely picking strongly agree/disagree)

Answer 38

End Aversion/Central Tendency

Question 39

the tendency of people to hold extreme attitudes about a topic

Answer 39

Positive Skew

Question 40

the tendency for rating of specific traits to be influenced by a general attitude, or set, toward a person (e.g. course evaluations)

Answer 40

Halo

Question 41

a major source of self-report error in which the ability and motivation of respondents to provide accurate information about behaviors or events that occurred in the past

Answer 41

Recall

Question 42

Visual Analog Scale

Answer 42

A graphic rating scale that uses a straight line and gives a numeric score based on the distance from one end of the line to the subject's response

Question 43

Thurston Scale

Answer 43

A rating scale that pre-weights items to generate a score for endorsed items

Question 44

Likert Scale

Answer 44

A summated rating scale that uses several items to asses a single attribute through adding individual response ratings to obtain a single score

Question 45

Guttman Scale

Answer 45

A rating scale structured so that an affirmative response to one item in a set suggests affirmative responses to other items in that set. Total score is obtained by adding all the affirmative answers

Question 46

Semantic Differential Rating Scale

Answer 46

A rating scale that assesses meaning. To score this scale, response numbers are reversed and added.

Question 47

What kinds of factors influence measurement error?

Answer 47

* Respondent Factors * Instrument Factors * Situational Factors