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What is operationalisation?
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All Flashcards in Topic 1.4
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1.4.110 cards
What is operationalisation?
Defining a variable by the exact way it will be measured.
Operationalise 'memory'.
e.g. the number of words correctly recalled in two minutes.
Quantitative vs qualitative data?
Quantitative = numbers to compare; qualitative = words and meaning for depth.
What is self-report?
Asking people directly — questionnaires, rating scales, interviews.
What is observation (as a measure)?
Watching and recording what people actually do.
One weakness of self-report?
People may be dishonest or inaccurate about their own behaviour or feelings.
One weakness of observation?
You see behaviour but not the thoughts or feelings behind it.
Why use more than one measure?
If different measures agree, the finding is more trustworthy.
Is a questionnaire score the same as stress?
No — it is a measure of stress, not stress itself.
Which concept is this?
Measurement — one of the six core concepts.
1.4.210 cards
What is reliability?
The consistency of a measure — the same result under the same conditions.
What is test-retest reliability?
Giving the same test to the same people twice; stable scores mean it is reliable over time.
What is inter-rater reliability?
Different observers rating the same behaviour and closely agreeing.
What is internal consistency?
Questionnaire items meant to measure one thing giving similar answers.
Reliable but not valid — example?
A scale that always reads 5 kg heavy: consistent, but consistently wrong.
Why is reliability 'necessary but not sufficient'?
A measure can be consistent yet consistently measure the wrong thing.
How do you improve inter-rater reliability?
Train the observers and use a clear, agreed coding scheme.
What does test-retest need to work?
That the thing being measured has not really changed between the two tests.
Reliability vs validity in one line?
Reliability = consistent; validity = measuring the right thing.
Which concept is this?
Measurement — one of the six core concepts.
1.4.310 cards
What is validity?
Whether a measure or study actually captures what it claims to measure.
What is construct validity?
Whether the measure captures the actual concept, not something else.
What is internal validity?
Whether an effect is really due to the manipulation, not a confound.
What is ecological validity?
Whether findings generalise to real-life settings, not just the lab.
Reliability vs validity?
Reliability = consistent; validity = measuring the right thing.
Example of low construct validity?
Measuring 'intelligence' by mouse-clicking speed — that captures reaction time, not intelligence.
What is the internal–ecological trade-off?
Tight lab control aids internal validity but can make the setting artificial, hurting ecological validity.
How do you threaten internal validity?
A confound — another variable that could explain the effect (e.g. no control group).
Can a study be reliable but not valid?
Yes — it can give consistent results while measuring the wrong thing.
Which concept is this?
Measurement — one of the six core concepts.
Topic 1.4 study notes
Full notes & explanations for Measurement
Psychology exam skills
Paper structures, command terms & tips
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