1. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
Jin-Wan Seo, Professor
Dept. of Public Administration,
University of Incheon

2. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
Conceptions, Concepts, & Reality
Conceptions & Concept
Conceptions are mental images we use as summary devices for bringing together observations and experiences that seem to have something in common. We use terms or labels to reference these conceptions.
___________ are constructs; they represent the agreed-upon meanings we assign to terms. Our concepts don’t exist in the real world, so they can’t be measured directly, but it’s possible to measure the things our concepts summarize. 1

3. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
The process of specifying observations and mesurements tat give concepts definite meaning for the purposes of a research study is called ____________________.
Suppose we want to find out, for example, whether women are more compassionate than men. I suspect many people assume this is the case, but it might be interesting to find out if it is really so.
We can’t meaningfully study the question, let alone agree on the answer, without some working agreements about the meaning of certain things. They are “working” agreements in the sense that they allow us to work on the question. We don’t need to agree or even pretend to agree that a particular specification is ultimately the best one.
Conceptualization includes specifying the indicators of a concept and describing its dimensions. Operational definition specify how variables relevant to a concept will be measured. 1

4. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
Operationalization - example
Education
Defintion – measurable?
Univ. – High School – Middle – Elementary – etc.
Love
Definition – measurable?
Pulse, sensitive test ?
Tradition
Religious services, visiting ancestral graves, being dutiful to one’s parents. 1

5. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
Operationalization
___________________ is an extension of conceptualization that specifies the exact procedures that will be used to measure the attributes of variables.
Operationalization involves a series of interrelated choices
Specifying the range of variation that is appropriate for the purposes of a study
Determining how precisely to measure variables
Accounting for relevant dimensions of variables
Clearly defining the attributes of variables and their relationships
And deciding on an appropriate level of measurement. 1

6. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
Attributes operationalized as mutually exclusive and exhaustive may be related in other ways as well. For example, the attributes composing variables may represent different levels of measurement.
Researcher must choose from four levels of measures that capture increasing amounts of information: nominal, ____________, interval, and ratio.
The most appropriate level depends on the purpose of the measurement 1

7. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
Levels of Measurement
Nominal Measures
Variables whose attributes have only the characteristics of exhaustiveness and mutual exclusiveness.
Ordinal Measures
Variables with attributes we can logically rank-order.
___________ Measures
The actual distance separating those attributes does have meaning.
Ratio Measures
The attributes composing a variable are based on a true zero point. 1

8. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
Progression of Measurement Steps
Nominal definition is one that is simply assigned to a term without any claim that the definition represents a “real” entity. It is arbitrary. Most nominal definition represent some consensus, or convention, about how a particular term is to be used.
_____________definition specifies precisely how a concept will be measured – that is, the operations we will perform. Operational definition is nominal rather than real, but it has the advantage of achieving maximum clarity about what a concept means in the context of a given study. In the midst of disagreement and confusion over what a term “really” means, we can specify a working definition for the purpose of an inquiry.
Conceptualization
Nominal Definition
Operational Definition
Measurements in the Real World
The conceptualization and operationalization processes can be seen as the specification of variables (logical sets of attributes) and the ___________ (characteristics of something) composing them. 1

9. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
Criteria of Measurement Quality
Precision and Accuracy
the operationalization of concepts must guided partly by an understanding of the degree of precision required. (43 years old vs. forties)
the less-precise description is more accurate, a better reflection of the real world. (“born in Stowe, Vermont” vs. “actually born in Boston) 1

10. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
Criteria of Measurement Quality
____________________
A matter of whether a particular technique, applied repeatedly to the same object, yields the same result each time.
How do you create reliable measures?
Researchers can test or improve the reliability of measures through the following ways.
The Test-retest method
The Split-half method
The Use of established measures
The Examination of work performed by research workers 1

11. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
Criteria of Measurement Quality
________________
Refers to the extent to which an empirical measure adequately reflects the real meaning of the concept under consideration.
Yardsticks for assessing a measures validity
Face validity
Particular empirical measures may or may not agree with our common agreements and our individual mental images concerning a particular concept,
Criterion-related validity (= predictive validity)
is based on some external criterion.
Construct validity
is based on the logical relationships among variables.
Content validity
Refers to How much a measure covers the range of meanings included within a concept. 1

12. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
Tension between Reliability & Validity
Whereas _________ means getting consistent results from the same measure, ____________ refers to getting results that accurately reflect the concept being measured.
We want our measures to be both reliable and valid. However, there is often a tension between the criteria of reliability and validity, forcing a trade-off between the two. 1

13. 6. Conceptualization & Measurement
Tension between Reliability & Validity
Creating specific, reliable measures often seems to diminish the richness of meaning our general concepts have. This problem is inevitable.
The best solution is to use several different measures, using the different aspects of a concept. 1