BHV 390

Surveys

Operationalization of Concepts

Operationalize means to make measurable

You operationalize concepts by turning them into measurable variables.

Variables are, by definition, measurable.

Surveys are made up of items collecting data on concepts the researcher is studying.

Each item was chosen to operationalize a concept into a particular type of variable.

Operationalizationin Surveys

1. Validity2. Level of Data (Nominal, Ordinal, Ratio)3. The amount of detail(See the section on Operationalization for 1-31. Exhaustiveness of items2. Clarity 3. Lack of bias in wording4. No double barreled questions.5. Question, item format6. Participant competence7. Order of items8. Contingency options

General Type

Specific Type

Definition Examples

Discrete Nominal Numbered for labeling in a category based on equality to or difference from other members of the category

African American•Asian American•Latino•Euro-American

Continuous Ordinal Items are ranked in categories with nostandard interval impliedby their ranking

1)First Place2)Second Place3)Third Place(the distance between first and second place, and second and third place may be very different from one another)

Continuous Interval Items are ranked with a standard interval, but without a standardized zero point.

32 degrees Fahrenheit64 degrees Fahrenheit(32 does not imply twice as cold as 64, and the Fahrenheit and Centigrade have different, non-standard zeros.

Continuous Ratio Items are ranked with astandard interval based on a standardized zero point, and a ranking of 4implies exactly twice that of 2.

Age in years

Kinds of Variables

Exploratory, Descriptive or Explanatory Goals

• Descriptive GoalsDemographic variables as descriptive toolsOpen ended questions, items to elicit the point of view of participantsExplanatory GoalsDemographic variables as independent variables

Closed- ended questions to collect identical, comparable information from all participants

General Kinds of Measures

• Closed Ended• Multiple Choice• Matrix

• Contingency items

• Open Ended• Fill in the Blank• Short Answer

• Single Item• Composite Measures

Exhaustiveness of Items

• WRONG1. What is your

ethnicity?_____ African

American_____Asian American_____EuroAmerican

• RIGHT1. What is your ethnicity?_____ African American_____Asian American_____EuroAmerican_____Native American_____Latino_____Other, please specify:_______________________

Clarity of Questions = ValidityIf you want to know whether anyone in a

participant’s family has ever been in prison:

• WRONG1. Has anyone in

your family ever gone to jail?

OR1. Has anyone in

your family ever been arrested?

• RIGHT1. Has anyone in

your family ever served a prison sentence?

_____Yes_____No

Bias in Questions

Example:1. Don’t you think that women

should be stay-at-home moms?___ Yes ___ No

Be careful that the questions in your items do not contain the answer you hope to get.

Double Barreled Questions

Example:2. Did you pay your state and federal

taxes last year? ___ Yes ___ No

There are two questions contained in this item. It is possible that a participant paid federal but not state taxes or vice versa. Be sure that you separate out your questions so that there is only one per item.

Contingency Questions WRONG:

1. Are your parents currently married to one another? _____ yes _____ no

2. How many years have they been married? _____

 3. Do you think they have a happy

marriage? _____ yes _____ no4. When did your parent’s marriage

end? _____

Contingency QuestionsWRONG :1. Are your parents currently married

to one another? _____ yes _____ noIF NO, GO TO # 4

2. How many years have they been married? _____

 3. Do you think they have a happy

marriage? _____ yes _____ no GO TO # 5

4. When did your parent’s marriage end? _____

Contingency Questions  RIGHT: 1. Have you parents ever been married?

_____Yes _____noIF NO, GO TO # 6

2. Are your parents currently married to one another? _____ yes _____ noIF NO, GO TO # 5

3. How many years have they been married? _____ 

4. Do you think they have a happy marriage? _____ yes _____ noIF YES, GO TO # 7

5. How many years were your parents married before their marriage ended? _____

6. Have you parents ever lived together?_____yes _____no

7. How old was your mother when you were born? _____

Matrix Items A matrix format sometimes makes it

easier for participants to respond to a set of items that all have the same options. The section of the State-Trait Anger inventory below is arranged in a matrix format.

Not at all Somewhat Moderately so Very much so 5. I am furious. 0 1 2 3 6. I feel irritated. 0 1 2 3 7. I feel angry. 0 1 2 3

8. I feel like banging on the table. 0 1 2 3

9. I feel like hitting someone. 0 1 2 3 10. I feel like breaking things. 0 1 2 3 11. I feel like yelling at someone. 0 1 2 3 12. I am mad. 0 1 2 3 13. I am burned up. 0 1 2 3

14. I feel like swearing. 0 1 2 3

Steps in Constructing A Survey• List all variables that you will measure• Determine which of the formats above you will use for

each variable. • Determine what level of data you will collect for each

variable.• Organize the items for presentation on a survey

according to:formatmatrix or other clustering of itemscontingency seriesinfluence on each othervisual flow

• Pretest the survey on several individuals who will not be participating in the survey for

comprehensionlogical consistencytime

• Revise according to suggestion that enhance the survey’s effectiveness

Study Guide• Survey Open-ended• Operationalization Closed-ended• Variable Fill in the blank• Validity Multiple choice• Level of Data Contingency items• Research goal Matrix format• Amount of detail Short answer• Exhaustiveness of items Composite/multiple item measures• Clarity Index• Question/item format Scale• Participant competenceBiased questions/items• Nominal data Double-barreled questions/items• Ordinal data Pretesting the survey• Ratio data• Discrete data• Continuous data