The Operationalization Process Making Your Concepts Measurable

Operationalizing Operationalization is defined as “to make measurable.” Each of your concepts must be turned into variables by specifying exactly how you will measure it.

Issues in Operationalization Validity Type of Variable Number of Items Used Amount of Detail Needed

Validity Validity means that you are measuring what you say you are measuring. For example, a valid measure of a child’s academic progress might be their grades or their scores on an achievement test. The shoe size of a child to would be an invalid measure of academic progress.

Types of Data There are two general types of data: Discrete Continuous

Discrete Data = information that is sorted into mutually exclusive categories. Subtypes of discrete data: Nominal data sorted into unranked categories Ordinal data sorted into ranked categories

Examples for Nominal Data 1.Gender __X__Male_____Female 2. Ethnicity ____African American ____Euro American _X__Latino ____Asian American ____Native American ____Mixed: Please specify ____________ ____Other: Please specify______________

Example for Ordinal Data 2.Socioeconomic status. ____Poverty level _X__Working class ____Middle class ____Upper class Upper class is higher than middle class, which is higher than working class, which is higher than poverty level.

Continuous Data = measured using a steady progression of values that are equally distant from one another Continuous data can be collected in a single item or in a multiple item index or scale

Examples of Continuous Data Example of single item 4.Age _23__ (Please fill in your age in years.) Example of a multiple item score For each of the four anger scale items below, please circle the number that corresponds to how you feel right now. Not at all 0 Somewhat 1 Moderately so 2 Very much so 3 5. I feel like banging on the table I feel like hitting someone I feel like breaking things I feel like yelling at someone Total Score = 3

How Much Detail Do You Need Do you want to know if something is present or not? Do you want to know to what degree something is present? Do you have a variable that has a number of different components or aspects to it and you need to be sure you have gotten information about all of them to give a complete picture of your variable?

Measuring Age 9.Age (Please check the category that applies to you.) ____Adolescent ____Young Adult ____Adult ____Senior Citizen (Very vague categories, relative age) 10. Age (Please check the category that applies to you.) _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ (More detail with age by decade)

Measuring Age 11.Age in years _____ (Please fill in your age in years) (More detail by year) 12. Age in months _____(Please fill in the child’s age in months) (More detail by month)

How Much Detail Do You Need You can collapse age by year into age by decade after you collect your data, but you cannot reconstruct age by year if you only collect age by decade. Be sure you collect the level of detail you need to answer you research questions or test your hypotheses.

Collecting Data Data can be collected in many ways including: Experimental procedures Surveys Interviews Observations Participant-Observation Content Analyses

Collecting Data Data can be collected in quantitative formats or qualitative formats Sometimes qualitative data is used for description only. Other times it is coded and transformed into quantitative data.

Collecting Data Data can be collected using either open-ended questions/items or closed-ended questions/items. Open-ended questions/items allow the participant to give whatever information they want. Closed-ended questions/items require participants to answer by indicating one or more options pre-determined by the researcher.

Recording Data Sometimes data is recorded as it is collected. Other times it is collected in the form of taped interviews or fieldwork observation notes that must be coded and recorded after it is collected. Data for quantitative research must be recorded no matter how it is collected. Sometimes the recording is the same step as the collection (e.g.surveys), and sometimes it is not (e.g. interviews).

Data RecordingTemplates There are seven general ways to record data : 1. Single item, two option 2. Single item, multiple nominal options 3. Single item, multiple ordinal options 4. Single item, Likert options 5. Single item, fill in the blank 6. Multiple items, index format 7. Multiple items, scale format

Single Item Two Option Measure Sample item: Please check the option that best fits your experience. 14. I have been involved in a physically abusive relationship. _____ Yes_____ No (Closed Format)

Single-Item, Multiple Nominal Options Sample item: Please check the option that best reflects your ethnic background. 15. Ethnicity. _____African American _____Asian American _____Latino _____Euro American _____ Native American _____Other: Please specify___________________ (Closed Format)

Single-Item, Multiple Ordinal Options Sample item: Please check the option that best fits your experience. 16. How many times have you been involved in a physically abusive romantic relationship? _____ Never _____ 1 time _____ 2-5 times _____6-9 times _____10 or more times (Closed Format)

Single Item, Likert Options Sample item: Please circle the option that best fits your experience. 17. I usually eat when I am sad or depressed. Never TrueAlways True (Closed Format)

Single Item, Fill in the Blank Sample items: 18.What is your age in years? _______ 19.What is your ethnicity? ________________________ Age in years is continuous, and ethnicity is nominal and discrete. (Open Format)

Multiple Item, Scale Format Sample items from the Sexual Permissiveness Scale (Bauman and Wilson 1976): 20. Sexual intercourse is acceptable for the male before marriage when he is in love. __X__ Agree _____ Disagree 21. Sexual intercourse is acceptable for the male before marriage when he feels strong affection. _____ Agree __X__ Disagree 22. Sexual intercourse is acceptable for the male before marriage even if he does not feel strong affection. _____ Agree __X__ Disagree

Multiple Item, Scale Format (con’t) A scale is scored by differently weighting items in a multiple item measurement. For the Sexual Permissiveness Scale on the previous slide, Item 20 receives 1 point for “agree”. Item 21 receives 2 points for “agree”. Item 22 receives 3 points for “agree”. Item 21 gets twice the weight as item 20, and item 22 gets three times the weight of item 20. As marked, the scale has a total score of 1.

Multiple Item, Index Format Sample items: For each of the four anger scale items below, please circle the number that corresponds to how you feel right now. Not at all 0 Somewhat 1 Moderately so 2 Very much so I feel like banging on the table I feel like hitting someone I feel like breaking things I feel like yelling at someone Total Score = 2 Each item is equally weighted in the calculation of the score.

The Operationalization Process 1.Begin with your concept. 2.Decide whether you will collect quantitative or qualitative data. 3.Choose between experimental, survey, interview, fieldwork and content analysis to collect your data. 4.Decide what level of detail you need to answer your research questions and/or test your hypotheses. 5.Select a data recording format. OR Locate a preexisting scale or index that measures your concept. 6. Write your measurement item. 7. Check the validity of your measure. 8. Repeat this process for each concept you want to measure