Levels of Measurement
The level of measurement for this variable.
Favorite animal: cat, dog, fish, bird, hedgehog
What is a categorical variable?
When observed values cluster symmetrically around the mean in a graphed curve that's shaped like a bell
What is a normal distribution?
This test compares the means of a numerical variable between two categorical groups
What is a t-test?
This research method does not involve any human subjects
What is content analysis?
Before any data collection from human participants begins you much first obtain this from them
What is informed consent?
Most Likert-type scales use this level of measurement
What is an interval variable?
The square root of variance
What is the standard deviation?
A test in which you analyze a relationship using the numerical values of two variables
What is a Pearson's correlation?
In an experiment, this is the variable that gets manipulated by the researcher
What is an independent variable?
College student samples have been criticized for being disproportionately representative of people from a certain type of country/population, using this acronym
What is WEIRD?
(western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic)
This is just like another level of measurement but with one difference: it has a meaningful zero
What is a ratio variable?
How far above or below the observed mean in your sample the mean in the actual population may be
What is the margin of error?
This test analyzes the relationships between categorical variables in relation to their expected values
What is a chi-square?
When you write a question that is actually asking about two different things, due to the wording
What is a double-barreled question?
When research is shared with people through websites, public talks, and other non-academic avenues
What is public scholarship?
The level of measurement used in this question:
What is your age? ________
What is a continuous variable?
The significance level typically used in quantitative media research
What is p<.05?
Like a t-test, but for comparing the numerical means of 3 or more categorical groups rather than 2
What is an ANOVA?
Snowball, convenience, and purposive are all examples of this
What is non-probability sampling?
Within two standard deviations from the mean
What is a 95% confidence level?
The level of measurement for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners at a competitive science fair
What is an ordinal variable?
(Because there's no standard distance between the values -- for example, there could be a wide score gap between 1st and 2nd place and a small one between 2nd and 3rd place)
Organizing textual data obtained through qualitative research methods (as well as qualitative questions added to questionnaires in surveys or experiments) into codes and themes
What is thematic analysis?
The test used to analyze this:
The camp's Red, Blue, and Green teams each had 10 campers, who were distributed among two cabins (Pine and Willow). How many from each team were in each cabin?
What is a cross-tabulation (cross-tabs)?
(This is just looking at frequencies, not comparing it to expected values, which is why it's not a chi square)
Without having a list of every memeber of the population being studied, there is no way to do this type of sampling
What is random sampling?
The type of scholarly journal that involves getting experiences researchers in the field to comment on whether an article should be published and if it needs any revisions
What is peer-reviewed?