Measurement Levels and Validity Concepts - 550 Words

Measurement Levels and Validity Concepts (Research Paper Sample) Content: Running Head: MEASUREMENT LEVELS AND VALIDITY CONCEPTSMeasurement Levels and Validity Concepts(Name)(University)(Course)(Tutor)(Date)Levels of measurement and concepts of validityFour measurement levels have been offered by researchers depending on the rules that are used to numerically measure variables. Nominal level describes categorical variables such as demographic characteristics like religion, race and sex whereas ordinal level of measurement categorizes measurement along certain dimension such as size CITATION Bab10 \l 1033 (Babbie, 2010). Bobbie explains further that in interval level of measurement, variables with meaningful distances between them are described. Ratio level of measurement is the highest level and unlike interval describes variables with equal intervals and a fixed zero point taken as reference CITATION Bab10 \l 1033 (Babbie, 2010) . Variables measured at higher level can be transformed to lower level. For example, actual age as a variable which is measured at ratio level can be converted to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"younger and olderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ categories in nominal level measurement. On the other hand, measurement of speed as a variable in ordinal level as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"slower and fasterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ cannot be transformed to actual speed units in ratio level measurement. This is because lower level measurements are categorical in nature which makes higher to lower level conversion easy CITATION Bab10 \l 1033 (Babbie, 2010).While design validity is used to determine whether the study measures the intended constructs, Farrell asserts that measurement validity concerns with the accuracy of the measured variables under study CITATION Far11 \l 1033 (Farell, 2011). In most cases, both measurement and design validity employ various validity types such as construct, face, content and criterion validities in determining the accuracy of measurement and the extent to which the findings support the constructs under study respect ively. Farrell also posits that design validity deals with design methodologies regarding data collection and casual inferences whereas measurement validity deals with strengthening the accuracy of measurement CITATION Far11 \l 1033 (Farell, 2011).Farrell however notes that while design validly types may differ significan... Measurement Levels and Validity Concepts - 550 Words Measurement Levels and Validity Concepts (Research Paper Sample) Content: Running Head: MEASUREMENT LEVELS AND VALIDITY CONCEPTSMeasurement Levels and Validity Concepts(Name)(University)(Course)(Tutor)(Date)Levels of measurement and concepts of validityFour measurement levels have been offered by researchers depending on the rules that are used to numerically measure variables. Nominal level describes categorical variables such as demographic characteristics like religion, race and sex whereas ordinal level of measurement categorizes measurement along certain dimension such as size CITATION Bab10 \l 1033 (Babbie, 2010). Bobbie explains further that in interval level of measurement, variables with meaningful distances between them are described. Ratio level of measurement is the highest level and unlike interval describes variables with equal intervals and a fixed zero point taken as reference CITATION Bab10 \l 1033 (Babbie, 2010) . Variables measured at higher level can be transformed to lower level. For example, actual age as a variable which is measured at ratio level can be converted to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"younger and olderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ categories in nominal level measurement. On the other hand, measurement of speed as a variable in ordinal level as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"slower and fasterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ cannot be transformed to actual speed units in ratio level measurement. This is because lower level measurements are categorical in nature which makes higher to lower level conversion easy CITATION Bab10 \l 1033 (Babbie, 2010).While design validity is used to determine whether the study measures the intended constructs, Farrell asserts that measurement validity concerns with the accuracy of the measured variables under study CITATION Far11 \l 1033 (Farell, 2011). In most cases, both measurement and design validity employ various validity types such as construct, face, content and criterion validities in determining the accuracy of measurement and the extent to which the findings support the constructs under study respect ively. Farrell also posits that design validity deals with design methodologies regarding data collection and casual inferences whereas measurement validity deals with strengthening the accuracy of measurement CITATION Far11 \l 1033 (Farell, 2011).Farrell however notes that while design validly types may differ significan...