Chapter 4: Measurement

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. In conducting research, for what procedure does operationalizing a concept refer to?

A. measuring a concept

B. conducting a survey

C. defining a concept

D. planning the research

Learning Objective: 4-1: State the difference between conceptualization and measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Measurement

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. A property and casualty insurance company wanted to categorize its policyholders into five risk categories. Which of the following steps taken by the company would constitute operationalizing the concept of risk classification?

A. creating a team for the research

B. writing a plan to conduct research

C. creating a process to quantify risk

D. conducting a survey on risk measurement

Learning Objective: 4-1: State the difference between conceptualization and measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. The data science team of a market research company is developing a statistical model to identify potential customers for a client. The model and its results will need to be explained to the marketing team of the client. Which factor influencing the operationalizing of a concept is of primary importance in this case?

A. expected audience

B. usage of the data

C. ease of measurement

D. availability of analysts

Learning Objective: 4-2: Identify factors that affect how a concept should be operationalized.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Expected audience and use

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. The U.S. Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) has developed a comprehensive training manual on how to collect, report, assess, and classify information related to hate crimes. This manual is distributed to law enforcement officers at regular time intervals with updates. Which factor is addressed by this manual in operationalizing the classification of hate crimes?

A. expected audience

B. usage of the data

C. ease of measurement

D. ease of comparison

Learning Objective: 4-2 Identify factors that affect how a concept should be operationalized.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Ease of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. What do qualitative variables capture?

A. attribute differences in nature

B. extent of attribute differences

C. the order of attribute differences

D. the value of attribute differences

Learning Objective: 4-3. Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Levels of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Which of the following gives the correct ascending precision order of measurement levels?

A. interval, ordinal, ratio, nominal

B. nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio

C. nominal, interval, ordinal, ratio

D. interval, ratio, ordinal, nominal

Learning Objective: 4-3. Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Levels of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. Which of the following variable types are termed as categorical variables?

A. interval and ratio

B. ordinal and interval

C. ratio and nominal

D. nominal and ordinal

Learning Objective: 4-3: Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Categorical Variables

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. A property and casualty insurance company would like to classify its policyholders into three categories: low, medium, and high. Which measurement level does this risk variable fall into?

A. ratio

B. nominal

C. ordinal

D. interval

Learning Objective: 4-3: Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Categorical Variables

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. A retail bank wanted to analyze the average length of time in a year that customers had a checking balance below $500. What type of variable is a customer's bank balance?

A. ordinal

B. discrete

C. ratio

D. continuous

Learning Objective: 4-3: Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Continuous Variables

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. What is a unit of observation?

A. a defined measurement scale

B. a measurement variable

C. a level of aggregation

D. a row in a data table

Learning Objective: 4-5: Define unit of analysis, system of measurement, and scale of measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Unit of Observation

Difficulty Level: Medium

11. A marketing company conducted a self-reported survey, on behalf of a client, of household income and other demographics in Middlesex county, New Jersey. For the income question, the survey form had the following options to choose from: $0–$10,000, 10,001–50,000, 50,001–75,000, and, 75,000+. Those surveyed were required to choose one of the four options for income. Which of these statements is true of the survey question for household income?

A. open-ended question and discrete variable

B. closed-ended question and ordinal variable

C. closed-ended question and interval variable

D. open-ended question and continuous variable

Learning Objective: 4-4: Explain how data collection relates to level of measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Closed-Ended Questions

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. What are the two primary characteristics of a closed-ended question in a data collection form?

A. exhaustive and mutually exclusive options

B. nominal and exhaustive classes

C. mutually exclusive and nominal classes

D. one correct choice and quantitative options

Learning Objective: 4-4: Explain how data collection relates to level of measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Mutually Exclusive and Exhaustive Categories

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. In quantitative research, what does the term “reliability” refer to?

A. measurement that produces consistent values

B. measured data with a normal distribution

C. measurement that produces valid values

D. measured data that change with time

Learning Objective: 4-7: Define reliability and validity and their role in quantitative research.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Reliability

Difficulty Level: Medium

14. Three random samples of height measures (in inches) of 10 students each were taken from height measures of a class of 30 students. The height measure of the 30 students were found to follow a normal distribution. The mean of each sample was calculated and the values were found to be very close to each other. What type of reliability does this test refer to?

A. test–etest reliability

B. interitem reliability

C. interrater reliability

D. alternate forms reliability

Learning Objective: 4-7: Define reliability and validity and their role in quantitative research.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Reliability

Difficulty Level: Medium

15. Which of the following ways to assess measurement validity needs to be performed first?

A. face validity

B. criterion validity

C. content validity

D. construct validity

Learning Objective: 4-7: Define reliability and validity and their role in quantitative research.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Face Validity

Difficulty Level: Easy

16. The results of the last two annual compulsory health tests of an office were used to assess the health status of employees. What type of measurement validity does this indicate?

A. construct validity

B. nominal validity

C. face validity

D. content validity

Learning Objective: 4-7: Define reliability and validity and their role in quantitative research.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Face Validity

Difficulty Level: Medium

17. Measures that capture each dimension of the concept under research fall under what type of validity?

A. content validity

B. face validity

C. predictive validity

D. construct validity

Learning Objective: 4-7: Define reliability and validity and their role in quantitative research.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Content Validity

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. The monetary currency of Japan and its exchange rate to other currencies is an example of which generic term or expression?

A. measurement unit

B. system of measurement

C. monetary system

D. measurement scale

Learning Objective: 4-5: Define unit of analysis, system of measurement, and scale of measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: System of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

19. The height of patients in one branch of a medical clinic are recorded in meters, whereas it is recorded in centimeters in another branch of the same clinic. Data for both branches are collated into one database at the end of each month. Which of the following need to be considered when collating the data?

A. number of observations

B. unit of analysis

C. scale of measurement

D. system of measurement

Learning Objective: 4-5: Define unit of analysis, system of measurement, and scale of measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Scale of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Hard

20. What are units of observation also known as?

A. units of data

B. number of units

C. scale of units

D. levels of aggregation

Learning Objective: 4-5: Define unit of analysis, system of measurement, and scale of measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Unit of Observation

Difficulty Level: Medium

21. A Telecom company developed a model to predict customer churn. One of the variables used in the model was an internal risk score. The model development and results were published in a scholarly journal without divulging the methodology for calculating the risk score variable. Which factor influencing operationalizing of a concept needs to be taken into account by users of the model not affiliated to the Telecom company?

A. expected audience

B. ease of comparison

C. usage of the data

D. ease of measurement

Learning Objective: 4-2: Identify factors that affect how a concept should be operationalized.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Ease of Comparison

Difficulty Level: Hard

22. A statistical model developed by a company predicts customer churn per month. What type of variable is customer churn?

A. interval

B. continuous

C. ordinal

D. ratio

Learning Objective: 4-3: Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Continuous Variables

Difficulty Level: Medium

23. Which of the following is important when data used in social research contains missing values?

A. remove all missing values

B. identify units with missing values

C. differentiate missing by reason

D. ignore missing when modelling

Learning Objective: 4-4: Explain how data collection relates to level of measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Missing Values

Difficulty Level: Medium

24. The dimensions of rooms in a residential building are measured in feet. For one room in the building, the length of the room has a value of 180. Which of the following should be considered when using this data?

A. accuracy

B. plausibility

C. reliability

D. validity

Learning Objective: 4-6: Describe how measurement affect plausible and optimal values for a particular topic.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How Measurement Affects Plausibility

Difficulty Level: Hard

25. If a concept changes over time, which of the following is critical for the measure defined for the concept?

A. validity

B. plausibility

C. reliability

D. accuracy

Learning Objective: 4-7: Define reliability and validity and their role in quantitative research.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Reliability

Difficulty Level: Medium

True/False

1. To operationalize a research concept is to create a new variable for that concept.

Learning Objective: 4-1: State the difference between conceptualization and measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. The FICO credit score, with a range from 300 to 850, operationalizes the concept of credit risk or credit worthiness of a person.

Learning Objective: 4-1: State the difference between conceptualization and measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. The ease or difficulty in collecting data should be taken into account when operationalizing a research concept.

Learning Objective: 4-2: Identify factors that affect how a concept should be operationalized.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Factors Affecting Operationalization

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Secondary data from published research journals could be used with primary data collected by a researcher to answer a research question.

Learning Objective: 4-2: Identify factors that affect how a concept should be operationalized.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Measurement Issues for Secondary Data and Non-Research Data Sources

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. A research concept can only be measured by one of the four levels of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio.

Learning Objective: 4-3: Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Levels of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. Bank savings account balance of customers, rounded to the nearest integer, is a nominal variable.

Learning Objective: 4-3: Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Levels of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. Credit risk of customers, classified as low, medium, and high, is an ordinal variable.

Learning Objective: 4-3: Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Categorical Variables

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. A qualitative variable may not have a measurement unit associated with the variable.

Learning Objective: 4-5: Define unit of analysis, system of measurement, and scale of measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Levels of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. The number of sick days taken by employees and grouped into five ranges is a continuous variable.

Learning Objective: 4-4: Explain how data collection relates to level of measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Levels of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. A closed-ended question in a survey form provides respondents with a list of possible answers that are exhaustive.

Learning Objective: 4-4: Explain how data collection relates to level of measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How Question Format Affects Measurement

Difficulty Level: Easy

Short Answer

1. A variable contains the number of traffic violations of a vehicle for the last 3 years. What type of variable is this? How would you convert it to an ordinal variable?

Learning Objective: 4-3: Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Levels of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. What is the difference between conceptualization of a research question and its measurement?

Learning Objective: 4-1: State the difference between conceptualization and measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. A group of researchers asked a random sample of election voters in a particular county about their political affiliations. A second group of researchers obtained the latest election data of the same county from a public data source. What is the difference between these two methods of measurement?

Learning Objective: 4-1: State the difference between conceptualization and measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. What are the primary factors that affect operationalization of a research concept?

Learning Objective: 4-2: Identify factors that affect how a concept should be operationalized.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Factors Affecting Operationalization

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. An insurance company published their methodology for assessing customer risk based on several variables. One of these variables was a Tier category developed internally by the company. The classification method for Tier was not included in the article published. What factor would be critical if a researcher were to attempt replicating the risk assessment with data from a different insurance company?

Learning Objective: 4-2: Identify factors that affect how a concept should be operationalized.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Factors Affecting Operationalization

Difficulty Level: Hard

6. Enumerate three distinctions you would make between qualitative and quantitative data. Illustrate these differences with an example.

Learning Objective: 4-3: Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Levels of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Under the class of categorical variables, distinguish between nominal and ordinal variables. Illustrate with an example.

Learning Objective: 4-3: Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Levels of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. In your own words, describe the difference between a unit of measurement and a system of measurement. Illustrate with an example.

Learning Objective: 4-5: Define unit of analysis, system of measurement, and scale of measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Units

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Explain how data collection instruments, such as forms or survey questionnaires, affect the level of measurement in research. Associate the type of instrument with variable type, where possible.

Learning Objective: 4-4: Explain how data collection relates to level of measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Data Collection and Level of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Hard

10. Distinguish between reliability and validity of numeric measures used in a research study. Illustrate with an example.

Learning Objective: 4-7: Define reliability and validity and their role in quantitative research.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Reliability and validity of numeric measures

Difficulty Level: Hard

Essay

1. As a researcher in an auto insurance company, you have been asked to develop a model to predict probability of an auto incident of a customer during a 6-month period. An auto incident could include accidents and traffic violations. Discuss how you would operationalize the research question. Provide the steps needed in the process.

Learning Objective: 4-1: State the difference between conceptualization and measurement.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Measurement

Difficulty Level: Hard

2. A pest control company has contracted with you to advise them on which potential customers to target in a marketing campaign to be held in a particular county. The pest control company will provide incentives and discounts on their pest control services during this campaign. Discuss how you would choose the levels of measurement required in predicting the best target customers.

Learning Objective: 4-3: Recognize levels of measurement, units, and categories.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Levels of Measurement

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. Conceptualize a research question of your choice. The concept could be in any domain of your choice. Discuss the levels of measurement needed for the research question, and, the plausibility and optimum values of those levels you have chosen.

Learning Objective: 4-6: Describe how measurement affect plausible and optimal values for a particular topic.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How Measurement Affects Plausibility

Difficulty Level: Hard