part 1) Read Dixon (click on the link listed above) and the textbook (p. 106-p. 113 [1st edition: p. 101-p. 106]), and answer the following questions.
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What is a conceptual definition?w7r2
Give a conceptual definition of drunkenness.w7r3
What is an indicator?w7r4
Give an indicator of drunkenness.w7r5
What is an operational definition?w7r6
Give an operational definition of drunkenness.w7r7
Which of the following levels of measurement contains the least amount of information? a. interval b. ratio c. nominal d. ordinalw7r8
Usually, a variable can be measured in only one way. a. true b. falsew7r9
Time measured by the Gregorian Calendar (e.g. 2024 A.D., 200 B.C., etc.) is an example of the _____level of measurement. a. ordinal b. interval. c. ratio d. nominalw7r10
In a research proposal, operationalization of key variables is presented in the ___ section. a. Introduction b. Methods c. Findings d. Conclusion e. any sectionw7r11
Suppose a researcher uses the following categories for recording a respondent's birthplace: New York, New Jersey, California, Ohio, Florida, and Other. This set of categories is a. mutually exclusive but not exhaustive. b. exhaustive but not mutually exclusive. c. both exhaustive and mutually exclusive. d. neither mutually exclusive nor exhaustive.w7r12
Suppose you measured attendance at religious services by asking respondents to place themselves in one of the following categories: 1 = every week, 2 = two to three times a month, 3 = once a month, 4 = less than once a month. Which level of measurement is this? a. nominal b. ordinal c. interval d. ratiow7r13
Professor Shipley developed a new test to measure IQ. He claimed that using his test, someone with an IQ 120 would be considered twice as intelligent as someone with an IQ of 60 and IQ 0 means that the person has no intelligence. Shipley's test treats IQ as a(n) _____ variable. a. nominal b. interval c. ratio d. ordinalw7r14
Classifying someone as 1. employed full-time, 2. retired, 3. unemployed, 4. employed part-time, etc. treats employment status as a(n) _____ variable. a. ratio b. interval c. ordinal d. nominalw7r15
Suppose you measured degree of political activism by asking people, "How many times did you run for public offices in the past ten years?" What is your level of measurement? a. nominal b. ordinal c. interval d. ratio
Part 2) Read the article listed below, and answer the questions listed at the bottom of this page.-
- New York Times, February 19, 2008Vital SignsPrognosis: Large Social Networks May Help Surgical PatientsBy NICHOLAS BAKALARHaving a large network of friends and family, a new study suggests, may help surgical patients experience less pain after their operations.Researchers studied 605 people scheduled for chest or abdominal operations. Before the operations, they estimated their social connectedness by determining how many close friends and relatives each had. Using a scale of 1 to 3 (1=little pain, 2=some pain, 3=lots of pain), the patients rated their levels of pain after their operations.The one-fifth of patients with the smallest social networks reported almost twice as much postoperative pain intensity as the one-fifth with the largest. Larger social networks were associated with less postoperative pain.The authors, writing in the February issue of The Journal of the American College of Surgeons, say it is clear from their data that poor social connectedness is a cause of increased postoperative pain.“The average physician, when he takes a social history, asks about smoking and drugs and not the real social situation of the patient,” said Dr. Daniel B. Hinshaw, the senior author and a professor of surgery at the University of Michigan. “And yet it looks like this is a real marker for problems.”
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What is the independent variable in this research?w7r22
What are the attributes (or categories, or values) associated with the independent variable?w7r23
At which level (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio) is the independent variable measured? Explain your answer.w7r24
What is the dependent variable in this research?w7r25
What are the attributes (or categories, or values) associated with the dependent variable?w7r26
At which level (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio) is the dependent variable measured? Explain your answer.w7r27
What is the unit of analysis in this research?w7r28
Given this research, list one extraneous variable.
- New York Times, February 19, 2008Vital SignsPrognosis: Large Social Networks May Help Surgical PatientsBy NICHOLAS BAKALARHaving a large network of friends and family, a new study suggests, may help surgical patients experience less pain after their operations.Researchers studied 605 people scheduled for chest or abdominal operations. Before the operations, they estimated their social connectedness by determining how many close friends and relatives each had. Using a scale of 1 to 3 (1=little pain, 2=some pain, 3=lots of pain), the patients rated their levels of pain after their operations.The one-fifth of patients with the smallest social networks reported almost twice as much postoperative pain intensity as the one-fifth with the largest. Larger social networks were associated with less postoperative pain.The authors, writing in the February issue of The Journal of the American College of Surgeons, say it is clear from their data that poor social connectedness is a cause of increased postoperative pain.“The average physician, when he takes a social history, asks about smoking and drugs and not the real social situation of the patient,” said Dr. Daniel B. Hinshaw, the senior author and a professor of surgery at the University of Michigan. “And yet it looks like this is a real marker for problems.”