What does the process of conceptualization help with in research?
It helps translate an abstract theory or construct into specific variables and makes it possible to test hypotheses
What is operationalization in research?
Operationalization is the process of specifying exactly what will be observed and how it will be done, including the level of measurement and the method of measurement
How would you operationalize “socio-economic status”?
Examples could include asking about total family income or the highest level of school completed
What are the four levels of measurement (NOIR)?
1) Nominal – categories, no rank
2) Ordinal – order, ranks
3) Interval – ranks with known intervals
4) Ratio – an absolute zero and meaningful ratios
What is an example of a Nominal scale?
Assignment of labels for categorical variables
EX. gender (male/female) or compliance (took the pill/didn’t take the pill)
What is an example of an Ordinal scale?
- Assignment of values along some underlying dimension
EX. Rank in college
What is an Interval scale?
An interval scale has equal intervals between points but no true zero. Examples include IQ scores or temperature in Celsius/Fahrenheit
What is an example of a Ratio scale?
Examples include age, weight, or nutrient intakes in mg/day, where there is an absolute zero point
Why is reliability important in research?
Reliability refers to the consistency of a measurement tool, ensuring that measurements are dependable, predictable, and free from random error
What is the formula for reliability?
Reliability = True Score / (True Score + Error Score)
What are the two types of error in measurements?
1) Random error – due to chance; 2) Systematic error – consistent under or overestimation
What are some factors that influence measurement error?
Factors include errors in taking measurements, equipment malfunctions, transient states of participants, and situational factors like room temperature or lighting
What are the four methods for evaluating reliability?
1) Test-Retest – stability over time
2) Parallel/Alternate Forms
3) Inter-Rater
4) Internal Consistency
What is Cronbach’s Alpha used for?
It is used to measure (0-1) internal consistency, with a value of around 0.7 being considered acceptable
Split half reliability
Randomly divide items into 2 subsets and examin the consistency in total scores across 2 subsets
How is reliability measured?
Reliability is often measured using a correlation coefficient (r), where values closer to +1.00 indicate higher reliability
What is the difference between reliability and validity?
Reliability refers to the consistency of the measurement tool, while validity refers to whether the tool measures what it is supposed to measure
What strategies can improve reliability in a study?
- increasing sample size
- eliminating unclear questions
- standardizing testing conditions
- minimizing the effects of external events
- Moderate the degree of difficulty of test
- Maintain consistent scoring procedures
What is Test-Retest reliability?
give same test to same people two time points to see if same results obtained
What is Parallel/Alternate Forms reliability?
give two different forms of the test to same group and compare results
What is Inter-Rater reliability? and Intra-rater
Consistency between raters (having two raters judge same event/behaviour and assess agreement
- Intra-rater: Stability of measures by the same person
What is Internal Consistency in reliability?
It measures how consistently the underlying construct is being measured across different items in a test
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Importance of Research for Professional Practices8
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Finding the Evidence18
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Research Dissemination25
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Importance of Sampling22
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Measurement Reliability22
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Reliability Validity19
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Descriptive Statistics30
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Inferential Statistics Part 130
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Inferential Statistics Part 221
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Ethics36
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Qualitative Research39
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Cross Section + Survey Research30
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Case Control Studies26
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Cohort Studies16
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Animal Models in Human Nutrition15
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Experimental Design pt.117
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Experimental Design Pt.218
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Review Studies & Meta-Analysis19
