CMN 2101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Guttman Scale, Construct Validity, Concurrent Validity

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Communication
• Course: CMN 2101
• Professor: Mahamoud Houssein

Document Summary

Concept: a term that expresses an abstract idea formed by generalizing from particulars an summarizing related observations. Variable: they link the empirical with the theoretical; they are the phenomena and events that can be measured or manipulated in research. Dependent: are observed and their values presumed to depend on the effects of the independent variables. Discrete: includes only a finite set of values; it cannot be divided into subparts: examples: population sizes, genders, political affiliations. Continuous: can take on any value (including fractions) and can be meaningfully broken into smaller subsections: example: height is a continuous variable. Qualitative research: involves several methods of data collection, such as focus groups, field observation, in-depth interviews, and case studies. In these methods, the questioning approach is varied. Quantitative research: also involves several methods of data collection, such as telephone surveys, mail surveys, and internet surveys. In these methods, the questioning is static or standardized- all respondents are asked the same questions.