SWK 344-Statistics; SWK 540-Research
Methods; SWK 640-Program Evaluation –
questions with answers
Difference between statistics and parameters - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔-A
statistic is a value that is an estimate of a parameter. A statistic is based on a
sample. It is calculated from a sample taken from a population.
-parameters describes an entire population. A parameter may be very difficult
to determine if not impossible, especially in a large population. However, a
parameter can be determined in a very small population where every
individual can be located with absolute certainty, for instance in a totally
captive population
Variable - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔-an attribute that describes a person,
place, thing, or idea
-the value of the variable can "vary" from one entity to another
-a variable is any characteristics, number, or quantity that can be measured or
counted.
-may also be called a data item
example: age, sex, business income and expenses, country of birth, capital
expenditure, class grades, eye color, and vehicle type
,Constant - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A fixed value, it does not change
Conceptualization - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔-process by which
researchers define what they are attempting to study as precisely as possible.
-drawing boundaries around terms to make them tangible (clear).
example: personality, terrorism, violence, democracy, international law, etc.
Operationalization - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔-refers to the process of
figuring out how to measure the concepts that interest us
-when we operationalize something, we figure out how we are going to
measure it
-protocol must be specific and precise enough that someone else could use
your operational definition and obtain the same results you did
-overall, operationalization means to add measurable indicators to concepts to
make them measurable variables
Hypothesis - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔-an answer to a specific research
question before a research study has been conducted to test whether the
answer is true or not.
-a statement that can be proved or disproved by comparison with observed
facts
, Validity - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔the extent to which a test measures or
predicts what it is supposed to
*it is not possible to have validity without reliability. An instrument is valid if it
measures the right thing and measures it accurately*
Reliability - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔repeatability and consistency of a
test
Levels of Measurement NOIR - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Nominal
Ordinal
Interval
Ratio
Nominal - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔the lowest level of measurement and
is used to measure variables whose attributes are different in kind.
-example: gender, ethnicity, place of birth
can simply be called labels
Ordinal - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔higher level of measurement than
nominal and is used to measure those variables whose attributes can be rank
ordered such as: socioeconomic status, sexism, racism, and client satisfaction
-example: client satisfaction -- very satisfied, generally satisfied, not at all
satisfied
Methods; SWK 640-Program Evaluation –
questions with answers
Difference between statistics and parameters - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔-A
statistic is a value that is an estimate of a parameter. A statistic is based on a
sample. It is calculated from a sample taken from a population.
-parameters describes an entire population. A parameter may be very difficult
to determine if not impossible, especially in a large population. However, a
parameter can be determined in a very small population where every
individual can be located with absolute certainty, for instance in a totally
captive population
Variable - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔-an attribute that describes a person,
place, thing, or idea
-the value of the variable can "vary" from one entity to another
-a variable is any characteristics, number, or quantity that can be measured or
counted.
-may also be called a data item
example: age, sex, business income and expenses, country of birth, capital
expenditure, class grades, eye color, and vehicle type
,Constant - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A fixed value, it does not change
Conceptualization - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔-process by which
researchers define what they are attempting to study as precisely as possible.
-drawing boundaries around terms to make them tangible (clear).
example: personality, terrorism, violence, democracy, international law, etc.
Operationalization - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔-refers to the process of
figuring out how to measure the concepts that interest us
-when we operationalize something, we figure out how we are going to
measure it
-protocol must be specific and precise enough that someone else could use
your operational definition and obtain the same results you did
-overall, operationalization means to add measurable indicators to concepts to
make them measurable variables
Hypothesis - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔-an answer to a specific research
question before a research study has been conducted to test whether the
answer is true or not.
-a statement that can be proved or disproved by comparison with observed
facts
, Validity - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔the extent to which a test measures or
predicts what it is supposed to
*it is not possible to have validity without reliability. An instrument is valid if it
measures the right thing and measures it accurately*
Reliability - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔repeatability and consistency of a
test
Levels of Measurement NOIR - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Nominal
Ordinal
Interval
Ratio
Nominal - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔the lowest level of measurement and
is used to measure variables whose attributes are different in kind.
-example: gender, ethnicity, place of birth
can simply be called labels
Ordinal - ➰CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔higher level of measurement than
nominal and is used to measure those variables whose attributes can be rank
ordered such as: socioeconomic status, sexism, racism, and client satisfaction
-example: client satisfaction -- very satisfied, generally satisfied, not at all
satisfied
