MCOM 390 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Null Hypothesis, Control Variable, Confounding

• School: Towson University
• Department: Mass Communication
• Course: MCOM 390
• Professor: Mun- Chung Yung

Document Summary

Co(cid:374)(cid:272)ept = (cid:862) a te(cid:396)(cid:373) that e(cid:454)p(cid:396)esses a(cid:374) a(cid:271)st(cid:396)a(cid:272)t idea fo(cid:396)(cid:373)ed (cid:271)(cid:455) ge(cid:374)e(cid:396)alizi(cid:374)g f(cid:396)o(cid:373) pa(cid:396)ti(cid:272)ula(cid:396)s a(cid:374)d summarizing related observations: ex. Speech anxiety: summarized by following observations below, restlessness, perspiration, fidgeting. Construct: has multiple concepts in one, ex. Verbal or theoretical definition (conceptualization: a(cid:374)s(cid:449)e(cid:396)s the (cid:395)uestio(cid:374): (cid:862)(cid:449)hat is it? (cid:863) Operational definition (operationalization: a(cid:374)s(cid:449)e(cid:396)s the (cid:395)uestio(cid:374): (cid:862)ho(cid:449) (cid:272)a(cid:374) (cid:449)e (cid:373)easu(cid:396)e, o(cid:396) k(cid:374)o(cid:449)? (cid:863, translates the concept into simplified terms that can be measured, abstract concept is connected to concrete variable by operational definition (operationalization) How can an abstract concept be transformed into a concrete variable that can be studied (measured): ex. Hardness is an abstract term/concept: how can it be empirically defined, one way is the scratch test (look at marks) Cosmopolitanism (concept: conceptually: sophistication, operationally: level of education. Tell us how one concept is related to one or more other concepts. They help in being able to explain and predict.