Notes #1

MEASUREMENT AND TYPES OF DATA IN QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

SAMPLING AND PROBABILITY SAMPLING

Why Measure?
 Measurement allows us to delineate fine differences between people in terms of
the characteristic in question.
 Measurement gives us a consistent device or yardstick for making distinctions. A
measurement device provides a consistent instrument for gauging differences.
 Measurement provides the basis for more precise estimates of the degree of
relationship between concepts.

Levels of Measurement
1. Nominal Level
 identifies variables whose values have no mathematical interpretation; they vary
in kind or quality, but not in amount.
 variables whose categories cannot be rank-ordered and have name value only.
 Variables of this type have at least two categories, as with sex, profession, school
attended, country of residence, race, and religion. Inclusion in a category is
binary: a subject either belongs or does not belong.
2. Ordinal Level
 variables whose categories can be rank-ordered but the distances between the
categories are not equal across the range.
 Examples are social class, opinions solicited on a questionnaire, or job position in a
hierarchy. The intervals between ranks are not assumed to be equal, thus the
difference the between the first and second is not necessarily the same as the
difference between the second and third.
3. Interval Level
 Variables where the distances between the categories are identical across the
range but there is no zero point where the trait does not exist.
 An example is IQ scores, for which zero would have no meaning.
4. Ratio Level
 Variables where distances between the categories are identical across the range,
but there is an absolute zero and it has meaning-there is nothing there.
 For example, scores on an achievement test (how many points out of 10) can have
a score of zero, indicating a total lack of skills and knowledge on the topic.

Scales and Indexes

Rating Scale- is used to capture a respondent’s reactions or responses to a given item
in the scale. The more common rating scales are…
1. Binary Scale- consisting of binary items that assume one of two possible values, for
example, yes or no, true or false, and so on.
Table 1: A Six-Item Binary Scale for Measuring Political Activism
Have you ever written a letter to a public official? Ye N
s o
Have you ever signed a political petition? Ye N
s o
Have you ever donated money to a candidate running for public office? Ye N
s o
Have you ever written a political letter to the editor of a newspaper or Ye N
magazine? s o
Have you ever persuaded someone to change his/her voting plans? Ye N
s o
Source: Adpated from Bhattacherjee, 2012, p.47
2. Likert Scale- it was designed by Rensis Likert. These are simply-worded statements
to which respondents can indicate their extent of agreement or disagreement on a
five or seven-point scale ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”
Table 2: A Six-Item Likert Scale for Measuring Employment Self-Esteem
Strong Somewh Neutr Somewh Stron
ly at al at gly
Disagr Disagre Agree Agree
 ee e
I feel good about my job. 1 2 3 4 5
I get along well with others at 1 2 3 4 5
work.
I’m proud of my relationship with 1 2 3 4 5
my supervisor at work.
I can tell that other people at work 1 2 3 4 5
are gald to have me there.
I can tell that my coworkers 1 2 3 4 5
respect me.
I feel like I make a useful 1 2 3 4 5
contribution at work.
Source: Adpated from Bhattacherjee, 2012, p.47
3. Semantic Differential Scale- is a composite or multiitem scale. In the scale,
respondents are typically asked to indicate their opinions or feelings toward single
statement using different pairs of adjectives framed as polar opposite or two
extremes.
Table 3: A Semantic Differential Scale for Measuring Attitude Toward
National Health Insurance

Question: How would you rate your opinions on national health insurance?
Very Much Somewhat Neither Somewhat Very Much
Good      Bad
Useful      Useless
Caring      Uncarin
g
Interesti      Boring
ng
Source: Adpated from Bhattacherjee, 2012, p.47
4. Guttman Scale- is another type of a composite or multiitem scale designed by Louis
Guttman. What makes this composite scale different from the other composite scales
is that it uses a series of items increasing order of intensity of the concept of interest,
from least intense to most intense. Each item in the series has a weight which varies
with the intensity of that item. The weighted combination or summation of each
response is used as the aggregate measure of an observation.
Table 4: A Guttman Scale for Measuring Attitude Toward Immigrants
Do you mind immigrants being citizens of your country? Ye N
s o
Do you mind immigrants living in your neighborhood? Ye N
s o
Would you mind living next door to an immigrant? Ye N
s o
Would you mind having an immigrant as your close friend? Ye N
s o
Would you mind if someone in your family married an immigrant? Ye N
s o
Source: Adpated from Bhattacherjee, 2012, p.47

Sampling and Probability Sampling

Sampling- is the statistical process of selecting a subset (called a sample) of a
population of interest for purposes of making observations and statistical
inferences about that population.
Population- is the group you want to generalize to and the sample refers to the actual
units selected for observation.
Table 5
A Summary Comparison of Probability Sampling Technique or Procedures
Sampling Description Advantages Disadvantages
Technique
Simple Random Random Highly representative Not possible without
sample from if all subjects complete list of population
 whole participate; the ideal members; potentially
population uneconomical to achieve;
can be disruptive to isolate
members from a group;
time-scale may be too
long, data/sample could
change.
Stratified Random Random Can ensure that More complex; requires
sample from specific groups are greater effort than simple
identifiable represented, even random; strata must be
groups proportionally, in the carefully defined.
(strata), sample(s) (e.g., by
subgroups, gender) by selecting
etc. individuals from
strata list.
Cluster Random Possible to select Clusters in a level must be
samples of randomly when no equivalent but some
successive single list of natural ones are not for
clusters of population members essential characteristics
subjects exists but local lists (e.g. geographic: numbers
(e.g.., by do; data collected on equal but unemployment
institution) groups may avoid rates differ).
until small introduction of
groups are confounding by
chosen as isolating members.
units.
Stage Combination Can make probability Complex, combines
of cluster sample by random at limitations of cluster and
(randomly stages and within stratified random
selecting groups; possible to sampling.
clusters) and select random
random or sample when
stratified population lists are
random very localized.
sampling of
individuals.
Source: Black (1999, p.138)
 Activity #1-A
CONSTRUCTING SCALES

Direction: Construct scales using the following. Groups are expected to present and
comment on each other’s outputs. Use the worksheets. (5 pts. each)

1. Construct a five-item binary scale for measuring religiosity.

Worksheet 1: A Five-Item Binary Scale for Measuring Religiosity
Ye No
s
Ye No
s
Ye No
s
Ye No
s
Ye No
s

2. Construct a five-item Likert Scale for measuring academic performance.

Worksheet 2: A Five-Item Likert Scale for Measuring Academic Performance
Strong Somewh Neutr Somewh Stron
ly at al at gly
Disagr Disagre Agree Agree
ee e
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5

3. Construct a semantic differential scale for measuring attitude toward the conduct of
national and local elections in the Philippines.
Worksheet 3: A Semantic Differential Scale for Measuring Attitude Toward
the Conduct of National and Local Elections in the Philippines

Question: How would you rate your opinions on Philippine national and local elections?

    
    
    
    

4. Construct a five-item Guttman scale measuring attitude toward homosexuality.

Worksheet 4: A Guttman Scale for Measuring Attitude Toward
Homosexuality

Question: How will you rate your opinions on the following statements about
homosexuality?
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No