CHAPTER 6METHODS OF MEASURING BEHAVIOR

Intelligence tests that are given to preschool children a.. To Use Or Not To Use?● Advantages ● Versatile ● Easy to score ● Simple to take ● Poor writers not penalized ● Good items used

CHAPTER 6 METHODS OF MEASURING BEHAVIOR

Nguyen Tien Dzung Hanoi University of Science and Technology Email: dungnt-fem@mail.hut.edu.vn

1 Deciding on a Method to Measure Behavior:

Some Important First Considerations

asked the research question

2 Tests and Their Development

Why Use Tests?

● Help determine outcomes of experiments

● Can be used to diagnose strengths and weaknesses

● Assist in placing individuals in appropriate programs

● Assist in selecting applicants

● Used to evaluate a program’s effectiveness

3 Types Of Tests: Overview

Types of Tests What It Does

Achievement Test Assesses an individual’s knowledge of a

Achievement Test Sources

● Standardized

● Commercially prepared for wide use

● Scoring instructions included

● Researcher-made

● Designed by user for specific purpose

● Scoring instructions specific to test

Achievement Tests Referencing

What Comparison Do Tests Make?

compared to the scores of other individuals

compared to defined performance standards

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Multiple-choice Achievement Items

Anatomy of a Multiple-Choice Item

12 Intelligence tests that are given to

preschool children

a favor middle-class children

b have questionable construct validity

c are based on motor skills

d are no fun at all

STEM Clearly written CORRECT

ANSWER

DISTRACTERS Should be plausible (b & c), not easily ruled out (d)

To Use Or Not To Use?

● Advantages

● Versatile

● Easy to score

● Simple to take

● Poor writers not penalized

● Good items used again

● Good distracters are

● Some people don’t do well

on them

● Limits content to be assessed

● Items must be well written

Item Analysis: How To Tell If Your

Items Work

material from those who don’t

question’s ability to discriminate

● Difficulty index

● Discrimination index

Computing Indices

First Steps

1 Rank scores from highest to lowest

2 Choose top 27% of scores for ―high‖ group

3 Choose bottom 27% of scores for ―low‖ group

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Computing Indices

12 Intelligence tests that are given to preschool children

a favor middle-class children

b have questionable construct validity

c are based on motor skills

d are no fun at all

Item Alternative A B C D Total High Group

NCh = number of people in high group answering correctly

NCl = number of people in low group answering correctly

T = total number of people in high and low groups





Relationship Between Item Discrimination and Difficulty

½ gets item right,

½ gets item wrong

&

½ right is in upper half,

½ wrong is in lower half

Difficult, Good discrimination Easy, Good discrimination

Difficult, Poor discrimination Easy, Poor discrimination

Attitude Tests : Thurstone’s Scale

Item Agree No Strong

My professors don’t appreciate

how smart I am, either. _ _ _

Thurstone Scales

Method of Equal Appearing Intervals

written

most favorable

the average score

attitudes is selected

Thurstone Scales

Administration

● Well-formed attitudes indicated by consistently checking either high or low items

● Poorly-formed or inconsistent attitudes indicated by

inconsistent pattern or by checking off many neutral

items

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to indicate degree of agreement

Item Rating

Government has no business funding child care

programs. SD D U A SAChild care should be supported by federal, state,

and local tax dollars. SD D U A SA

A Likert Scale

Directions: Indicate to what extent you agree or disagree with the statements listed below by circling one of the following:

SA means that you strongly agree with the statement

A means that you agree with the statement

U means that you are undecided about the statement

D means that you disagree with the statement

SD means that you strongly disagree with the statement

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Scoring Likert Responses

Method Of Summated Ratings

● Items are weighted

● Weights of unfavorable items are reversed

● Average score is computed

Government has no business funding

child care programs. SD D U A SAChild care activities are supported by

federal, state, and local tax dollars. SD D U A SA

Personality Tests

● Present respondent with ambiguous stimulus

● Questions are objective

● Example: true-false, multiple choice, yes-no

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4 Observational Techniques

Techniques For Recording Behavior

Observational Techniques? Be Careful!

5 Questionnaires (Mail Survey)

● Paper and pencil tests with structured questions

● Self-administered

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Questionnaires

● Can be mailed out

● Survey broad geographic area

● Cheaper than one-on-one interview

● Respondents may be more honest

● Data easy to share with other researchers

● Low return rate

Basic Assumptions of a Questionnaire

respondent

have

obtained by other means

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The Format

● The presentation is attractive, professional, and understand

easy-to-● Questions and pages are clearly numbered

● Directions are clear and explicit

● Questions are objective

● Questions are ordered sensibly

● Transitions are used from one topic to the next

© 2012 NTD Research Methods - Chapter 6 30

The Importance of Using a Cover Letter