In-Class: Test Revision

Dear my Classmatess, are we ready for the second test that will be held this Thursday (October 8, 2010)? Without further wasting our time here, let's recap what we have revised so far in Dr Teoh's class.

Doing Research is Fun!

On September 30, 2010 Dr Teoh Sian Hoon had discussed with us on several topics which include Quantitative Data Analysis (Descriptive Statistics, Inferential Statistics, and Statistics in Perspective), Validity and Reliability as well as Instrumentation (Questionnaires, Checklist, Observation, and Interviews). She clarified all the things that we were unclear especially regarding the Type I and Type II Analysis. She had also discussed with us the practice sheet that was given to us last week. Since not many of us had the sheets printed out during our last class, so let’s refresh it here:

1. A group of methods and techniques which summarises or describes a set of data, without making any inferences or generalization. It employs the usage of tables, graphs, charts and numerical measures to summarize the data. (DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS)

2. The outcome variable of research. It is observed for effects due to the influence of another factor, the independent variable (s). (DEPENDENT VARIABLE)

3. The scale representing a hierarchy of precision on which a certain type of variable might be assessed. (LEVEL OF MEASUREMENT)

4. A representative portion of a population. (SAMPLE)

5. The magnitude of the difference between the characteristics of the sample and the characteristics of the population from which it was selected. (SAMPLING ERROR)

6. A scale where the distance between two values has the same meaning as any adjacent two values. This scale has an arbitrary zero point. (INTERVAL SCALE)

7. This scale has an absolute zero point (i.e. there is a complete absence of the property which the scale is measuring). (RATIO)

8. A group of methods and techniques that uses statistical tests and other measures to make inferences or generalization about a population from the information collected through sampling. (INFERENTIAL STATISTICS)

9. It is a characteristics or property of a person, an object or a situation, which comprises a set of different values or categories. (VARIABLES)

10. Many of the characteristics in natural data such as human’s height and weight, or characteristics in other living things, business and industry production, etc, have this interesting distribution. (NORMAL DISTRIBUTION)

Let's read, read and read again!

WHAT IS DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS?

Refer to data analysis techniques that enable the researcher to meaningfully describe data with numerical indices or in a graphic form.

WHAT IS INFERENTIAL STATISTICS?

Refer to certain to certain procedures that allow researchers to make inferences about a population based on data obtained from a sample.

HOW A RESEARCHER CAN ENSURE THAT THE INSTRUMENT IS LOGICALLY VALID? (VALIDITY)

There are 3 evidences of validity namely content-related evidence, criterion-related evidence, and construct-related evidence to validity. 

CONTENT- RELATED EVIDENCE

- Refers to the content and format of the instrument

- Indicates appropriateness/ get to the intended variable

- The content and format must be consistent with the definition of the variable and sample of subjects measured.

Is the item logic?

Is the item enough to evaluate the areas?

Is it consistent?

CRITERION-RELATED EVIDENCE

- Refers to relationship between scores obtained using the instruments and scores obtained using one or more other instruments/measures (criterion)

- How strong is the relationship?

- How well do the scores estimate present or predict future performance of a certain type?

- The table above shows that the two scores (confident and interest) are not related.

- Not good because it shows that the respondent doesn’t understand the questions.

CONSTRUCT-RELATED EVIDENCE

- The nature of the psychological construct/character being measured by the instrument.

- How well does a measure of the construct explain differences in the behaviour of individuals of their performance on certain tasks?

- The researcher attempts to collect a variety of different types of evidence

Fighting!!!

Okay, let's do some revision and Happy Studying!