Term
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Definition
| analyzes the relationship between two variables. A table that shows the distribution of cases across the values of the dependent variable for cases that have different values on an independent variable |
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Term
| curvilinear relationship pg. 61 |
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Definition
| the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable depends on which interval or range of the independent variable is being examined. |
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Term
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Definition
| the variable that represents the effect in a causal explanation. a distinguishing feature is not is weather it is correct or not, but if it can be tested to find out if it is incorrect. |
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Term
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Definition
| a testable statement about the empirical relationship between cause and effect. |
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Term
| independent variable pg.46 |
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Definition
| the variable that represents a causal factor in an explanation. |
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Term
| intervening variable pg.53 |
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Definition
| a variable that acts as go-between or mediator between an independent variable and dependent variable. often they are of central importance in describing "how" the independent is linked to the dependent variable. |
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Term
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Definition
| similar to a bar chart, describes the relationship between variables. |
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Term
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Definition
| an increase in the independent variable is associated with a consistent increase or decrease in the dependent variable. can be positive or negative. for negative linear relationships, any time you compare the dependent variable for subjects having different values on the independent variable its negative. for a positive linear relation each time you compare values of the dependent variable for cases having different values on the independent variable, its positive |
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Term
| mean comparison table pg. 58 |
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Definition
| table that shows the mean of a dependent variable for cases that have different values on an independent variable. |
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Term
| negative relationship pg.59 |
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Definition
EX: income-smoking relationship:
an increase in the independent variable (income), is associated with a decrease in the dependent variable (likelihood of smoking) |
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Term
| positive relationship pg.58 |
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Definition
EX: GDP-political rights and freedoms:
an increase in the independent variable (pre capita GDP), is associated with an increase in the dependent variable (political rights and freedoms) |
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Term
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Definition
| a graphic display for data |
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Term
| bimodal distribution pg. 34 |
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Definition
| a frequency distribution having two different values that are heavily populated with cases |
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Term
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Definition
| a typical or average value. may be measured in mean median or mode. |
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Term
| cumulative percentage pg.33 |
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Definition
| the percentage of cases at or below any given value of the variable |
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Term
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Definition
| the variation or spread of cases across its values. sometimes a variables most interesting and distinctive feature. |
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Term
| frequency distribution pg.32 |
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Definition
a tabular summary of a variable's values. commonly used in data presentations of all kinds
1st column: variable's values
2nd column: number/raw frequency
3rd column: reports % of cases falling into each value of the variable |
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Term
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Definition
| an additive combination of ordinal variables, each of which is identically coded, and all of which are measures of the same concept. |
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Term
| interval-level variable pg. 28 |
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Definition
communicates exact differences between units of analysis.
EX. age measured in years 18,24,71 (measures the exact amount of the characteristic) |
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Term
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Definition
| conceived by Rensis Likert, an additive index of 5- or 7- value ordinals, each of which captures the strength and direction of agreement (or disagreement) with a declarative statement. |
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Term
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Definition
| average of a set of numbers |
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Term
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Definition
| the middle most number of the set. half the cases below it, half above it. |
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Term
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Definition
| the vale that contains the largest number of cases or units of analysis |
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Term
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Definition
| information is negative skew if it was a skinnier left-handed tail |
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Term
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Definition
| a distribution with a longer or skinnier, right-hand tail |
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Term
| nominal-level variable pg.28 |
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Definition
communicates differences between units of analysis on the characteristic being measured.
Ex: marital status |
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Term
| ordinal-level variable pg.28 |
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Definition
more precise than nominal-level variables. communicates relative differences between units of analysis. has values that can be ranked, the ranking is reflected in the variable's numeric codes.
Ex: 1-4...strongly oppose, oppose, agree, strongly agree |
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Term
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Definition
| reports the percentage of cases in a distribution that lie below it |
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Term
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Definition
| the actual number or raw data of what is being measured |
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Term
| resistant measure of central tendency pg.38 |
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Definition
| another name for the "median". less sensitive to outliers |
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Term
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Definition
| the totals of the raw frequencies |
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Term
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Definition
| an empirical measurement of a characteristic |
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Term
| aggregate-level unit of analysis pg.12 |
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Definition
a collection of individual entities.
Ex: neighborhoods or census tracts, congressional districts, states, and countries |
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Term
| alternative-form method pg.18 |
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Definition
| investigator administers 2 different but equivalent versions of the instrument--one form at time point 1 and the equivalent form at time point 2 |
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Term
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Definition
| an idea or mental construct that represents phenomena in the real world |
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Term
| conceptual definition pg.8 |
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Definition
| clearly describes the concept's measurable properties and specifies the units of analysis to which the concept applies |
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Term
| conceptional dimension pg.11 |
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Definition
| defined by a set of concrete traits of similar type |
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Term
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Definition
| a question expressed using ideas. is frequently unclear and thus is difficult to answer empirically. |
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Term
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Definition
| a question expressed using tangible properties . can be answered empirically. |
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Term
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Definition
| researcher examines the empirical relationships between a measurement and other concepts to which it should be related. |
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Term
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Definition
| a natural methodological extension of the split-half technique. instead of evaluating consistency between separate halves of a scale, is compares consistency between pairs of individual items and provides an overall reading of the measure's reliability. |
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Term
| cross-sectional study pg.19 |
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Definition
| contains information on units of analysis measured at one point in time |
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Term
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Definition
| arises when an aggregate-level phenomenon is used to make inferences at the individual level. |
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Term
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Definition
| investigator uses informed judgement to determine weather an operational procedure is measuring what it is suppose to measure. |
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Term
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Definition
inadvertently measures a subject's response to the knowledge that he or she is being studied.
Ex: Test anxiety |
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Term
| individual-level unit of analysis pg.12 |
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Definition
| used when a concept describes a phenomenon at its lowest possible level. |
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Term
| multidimensional concept pg.11 |
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Definition
| has 2 or more distinct groups of empirical characteristics. each group contains empirical traits that are similar to each other. also, each group of traits is qualitatively distinct from other groups of traits |
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Term
| operational definition pg.8 |
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Definition
| describes the instrument to be used in measuring the concept and putting a conceptional definition "into operation" |
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Term
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Definition
| contains information on the same units of analysis measured at two or more points in time |
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Term
| random measurement error pg.15 |
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Definition
| a random mistake in the data...usually an accident while recording |
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Term
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Definition
| contains information on the same units of analysis measured at two or more points in time |
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Term
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Definition
| in terms of measuring, it the extent to which it is a consistent measure of a concept. a perfectly reliable measure give the same reading every time it is taken. |
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Term
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Definition
| based on the idea that an operational measurement obtained from half of a scale's items should be the same as the measurement obtained from the other half. |
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Term
| systematic measurement error pg.15 |
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Definition
| introduces consistent, chronic distortion into an empirical measurement |
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Term
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Definition
| investigator applies the measure once and then applies it again to the same units of analysis. if measurement is reliable, then the 2 results should be the same or very similar |
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Term
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Definition
| the entity (person, city, country, university, state, ect.) we want to describe and analyze; it is the entity to which the concept applies |
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Term
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Definition
| in terms of measurement, is the extent to which it records the true value of the intended characteristic and does not measure any unintended characteristics. |
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