Crim 1208- Concepts, Measurement, and Operationalization (Notes, Part 1)
u Communication = critical to good research
u We must transform fuzzy abstract concepts to concrete measurable stimuli
u We must do this validly and measure it reliably
Research: From conception to measurement
- Conception = Mental Image
- Concept = Words, phrases, symbols that represent mental image
- Conceptualization & Operationalization = C: Definition of concepts that are variables
that have concrete indicators and multiple attributes
- O: Specific definitions of plan for how to measure concepts
- Measurement = Details of making direct observations based on above (5 – Ws, 1 H)
Exhaustive & Exclusive Measurement
u Every variable must be:
- Exhaustive – all attributes of variable observed AND
- Mutually exclusive – each observation has only one attribute of variable
u Do following meet above criteria?
- Sentence location (where offender serves sentence for criminal offense) = prison or home
- Repeat offender (record of recidivism in official police report) = yes or no
Levels of Measurement
- LoM = how attributes are related to each other
- Nominal – Names or labels are attributes (e.g. race, city)
- Ordinal – Attributes can be rank-ordered (e.g., education, opinions)
- Interval – Meaningful distance between attributes (e.g., temperature, IQ) but no true 0
point
- Ratio – Has true 0 point (e.g., age, income, # yrs school)
- Can be converted to above, but not vice versa
u Why are LoM important?
- Stats calculated
- Conclusions drawn
Validity and Reliability:
u Reliability: if we measure the same thing repeatedly, always yield same result?
- Problem – reification
- e.g., repeated measuring of street smarts with IQ test
- Doesn’t ensure accuracy, but still important
u Validity: does measurement = reality?
- More difficult to prove
u Communication = critical to good research
u We must transform fuzzy abstract concepts to concrete measurable stimuli
u We must do this validly and measure it reliably
Research: From conception to measurement
- Conception = Mental Image
- Concept = Words, phrases, symbols that represent mental image
- Conceptualization & Operationalization = C: Definition of concepts that are variables
that have concrete indicators and multiple attributes
- O: Specific definitions of plan for how to measure concepts
- Measurement = Details of making direct observations based on above (5 – Ws, 1 H)
Exhaustive & Exclusive Measurement
u Every variable must be:
- Exhaustive – all attributes of variable observed AND
- Mutually exclusive – each observation has only one attribute of variable
u Do following meet above criteria?
- Sentence location (where offender serves sentence for criminal offense) = prison or home
- Repeat offender (record of recidivism in official police report) = yes or no
Levels of Measurement
- LoM = how attributes are related to each other
- Nominal – Names or labels are attributes (e.g. race, city)
- Ordinal – Attributes can be rank-ordered (e.g., education, opinions)
- Interval – Meaningful distance between attributes (e.g., temperature, IQ) but no true 0
point
- Ratio – Has true 0 point (e.g., age, income, # yrs school)
- Can be converted to above, but not vice versa
u Why are LoM important?
- Stats calculated
- Conclusions drawn
Validity and Reliability:
u Reliability: if we measure the same thing repeatedly, always yield same result?
- Problem – reification
- e.g., repeated measuring of street smarts with IQ test
- Doesn’t ensure accuracy, but still important
u Validity: does measurement = reality?
- More difficult to prove
