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objective systematic rule governed observations (surveys and experiments). Evaluated by criteria of validity, reliability and generalizability.

posi: Use quantitative methods to remain detached from respondents

• Concept: An idea that represents a class of objects (eg cats) or events
• (walking) or their properties (fast). Construct: a complex idea or
• concept formed from a synthesis of simpler ideas or concepts (concepts
• invented by scientists)

Qualitative (or categorical) variables: variables whose values are discrete and designated by words. Quantitative variables: values come from a numerical continuum.

variables that predict or explain other variables.

variables to be predicted or explained

presumed to casually precede predictor variables e.g. church predicts morality.

(or mediating variables): variables that channel the effect of the predictor variable on the outcome variable (e.g. maybe church attendance -> bible reading -> morality).

a variable that by itself may or may not predict and outcome variable- changes the strength or direction of an existing correlation or effect

• predictor x axis, outcome y axis
• moderator major

the relationship b/w two variables.

Extraneous third factor and neither variable involved in the correlation influenced the other.

Questions create a scale which is an index of composite measure of the construct, based on self-reports. The questions are items/indicators.

classifying cases into categories. Tool or activity to measure an object which will be a variable, must be exhaustive and mutually exclusive (e.g. Sex: male/female).

classify cases into categories and then rank them (e.g. education level 1= high school, 2 bachelors, etc).

Ordinal measures + equal intervals (e.g. attitude toward marijuana use).

interval measures + a meaningful (e.g. we know how much more $4 is to $1). Each level adds more info than the previous.

whether or not we’re measuring something consistently (interchangeable w consistency).

whether or not we are measuring the variable that we aim to measure (accuracy)

test-retest, inter-item and inter-coder

Given the same group of respondents a test at two time points. And see whether scores at Time 1 correlate with scores at Time 2. Strong correlation indicates high reliability

Whether the items in a scale correlate with each other?- Cronbach’s alpha>= .6 acceptable, >= .7 satisfactory, >=.9 will be excellent.

Whether or not different human judges (coders) produce similar results by using the same procedure and instrument?-Content analysis and nonverbal studies.