Sociology 201:
Social Research Design
10. Operationalization
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
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Preview
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Review Chapter 5 assignments
Measurement Options
– Range of variation, variations between extremes
– Review levels of measurement
– Single and multiple indicators
– Guidelines for asking questions
– Review units, variables, attributes
Operationalization Drill
Preview Chapter 6 assignments
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
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Review Workbook Assignments
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Range = 0 to 80
1 of you has 80
7 in the 70s
13 in 50s and
60s
• 8 have 0
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
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Remember:
• The Issue is
MEASUREMENT
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Total = 30 slides
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Range of variation
• ABANY: Yes, No
• POLVIEWS: Extremely
liberal to extremely
conservative
• PARTYID: Strong
Democrat to Strong
Republican (and Other
Party)
• ATTEND: Never to "more
than once a week” Total = 30 slides
02/11/2003
5
Variations between extremes
• AGE (every year)
• Could give categories:
Under 21
21-35
36-50
51-65
65 and older
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
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Review levels of measurement
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02/11/2003
Nominal
Ordinal
Interval
Ratio
Total = 30 slides
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Single or multiple indicators
• Indexes and
scales next
time
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
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Guidelines for asking questions
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Questions and statements
Open-ended and closed-ended questions
Make items clear
Avoid double-barreled questions
Respondents must be competent
Questions should be relevant
Short items are best
Avoid negative items
Avoid biased items and terms
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
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Operationalization Drill:
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Specify
variables,
attributes
and units of
analysis
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
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Do girls get better grades than
guys?
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Variables
Attributes
Unit of analysis
Okay to use
g.p.a.?
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
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Which department has the hardest
courses?
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02/11/2003
Variables
Attributes
Unit of analysis
What is "hard"?
Handling crosslisted courses
Total = 30 slides
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Are Chapman courses difficult?
• Can't answer that
• You need
something to
compare it with
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
13
Who earns most: doctors or
dentists?
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Variables
Attributes
Unit of analysis
Note ambiguity of
"doctor”
• Specify income:
gross, net, annual,
etc.
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
14
Are business school students more
prejudiced than sociology students?
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Variables
Attributes
Unit of analysis
Majors? Minors?
Taking courses?
• What kind of
prejudice?
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
15
Do business students study
harder than sociology students?
• Variables
• Attributes
• Unit of analysis
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
16
Are Catholics more religious than
Protestants?
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Variables
Attributes
Unit of analysis
Can only do this for
very specific
indicators
– e.g., church
attendance, beliefs,
prayer
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
17
Are Russian popular songs more
romantic than American ones?
• Variables
• Attributes
• Unit of
analysis
• BTW: how would
you tell if a song is
romantic?
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
18
Do democracies have a higher standard
of living than nondemocracies?
• Variables
• Attributes
• Unit of
analysis
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
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Preview Ch 6 Workbook Assignments
• 6.2 Semantic differential
– Start with a variable; then some dimensions
– Be sure to review structure of semantic
differential
– Show how each response might be scored in a
composite measure
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
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Next Time
• Composite
Measures
• Read Chapter 7
02/11/2003
Total = 30 slides
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