Instruments and measures

Question 1

What is an instrument?

Answer 1

• used to measure individual characteristics (IVs) and responses to the stimuli (DVs)

Question 2

What is the difference between instruments and stimuli?

Answer 2

• stimuli: vehicle to deliver manipulation/treatment (IVs)
• instrument: measure other variables (DVs, CVs, IVs)

Question 3

What are the 3 types of instruments?

Answer 3

1. questionnaire
2. technological equipment
3. observation

Question 4

What is a questionnaire?

Answer 4

• measures subjects’ self-reported characteristics and responses to manipulation
• variety of ways to administer: on paper, online, etc.

Question 5

What must questionnaires in an experiment capture?

Answer 5

• abstract concepts of dependent variables (DVs)
• covariates (CVs)
• intervening variables (mediators, moderators)

Question 6

What is an item in a questionnaire?

Answer 6

Specific question

Question 7

What is a single item questionnaire?

Answer 7

only one question used for very concrete concepts like race, age, gender, etc.

Question 8

What is an index questionnaire?

Answer 8

more complicated concepts measured with more than one question
eg. measures of attitudes, beliefs, emotions, judgements, norms, culture, etc.

Question 9

What are some measurement issues?

Answer 9

• ceiling and floor effects
• construct validity

Question 10

What are ceiling and floor effects?

Answer 10

• when answer options are not high (ceiling) or low (floor) enough, there is a bunching at the extremes
• can occur with Likert scales and categories

Question 11

What is a Likert scale?

Answer 11

• fixed-choice response format measuring agreement, frequency, importance and likelihood
• odd number of choices allow for neutral point

Question 12

What are some pros of questionnaire?

Answer 12

• self-reports give subjects “voice”
• self-reports are fast easy and cheap
• versatile, able to ask variety of questions and measure many attributes

Question 13

What are some disadvantages of questionnaires?

Answer 13

• social desirability bias
• reluctance to answer morally, ethically revealing topics
• some people struggle to know their own feelings
• misinterpretation of questions