Discussion 1 – Week 7
Measures and Scales
This week spend time discussing the similarities and differences between correlation and regression, and why one would use correlation instead of regression. Consider how often there are bivariate relationships and whether a bivariate relationship will be meaningful for your DBA doctoral study as compared to a regression, which examines relationships differently.
As a researcher, you will become familiar and comfortable with the measures and scales others in choose to measure data. Understanding study measurement methods can help clarify how you might employ these measurement instruments. In this Discussion, you will find an example of a test and a scale used in your discipline’s literature, analyze its use in the study, and analyze the relationships among these instruments, populations, and the concepts of reliability and validity.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Review Lesson 38, “Item Analysis Using Reliability Procedure” In Salkind and Green. Review in particular how to report psychometric properties, including correlation coefficients (pp. 345-347)
Search the literature for an example of a test and an example of a scale. For each example, determine the typical population and the reliability and validity.
To search for pre-existing measures that are available in the public domain do the following:
1. Log into the Walden Library and then follow the steps to find an article. Note that most measurement development is conducted in the field of psychology. Make sure that you select peer-reviewed and full-text articles. You will also want to conduct an advanced search as multiple terms will be searched.
2. In the first box type in your construct (depression, leadership, etc.)
3. In the second box type in the word “psychometric”.
4. In the third box type in one of the following words (you may have to try a few different ones) “measure” “instrument” “scale” or “survey”.
Note: the Mental Measurements Yearbook is available is also a useful tool. This database offers reviews of pre-existing measures in the field of psychology. However, nearly all measures are copyrighted, meaning you would have to pay to use them. Using a public measure allows you the opportunity to view the measure without purchasing it such as the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements http://www.unl.edu/buros/bimm/html/00testscomplete.html
· What considerations need to be made to ensure that the scale and test examples are reliable and valid for another population
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