Research Methodology - Dr. Krishan K. Pandey

Measurement and Scaling Techniques 93
Questions
1. What is the meaning of measurement in research? What difference does it make whether we measure in
terms of a nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio scale? Explain giving examples.
2. Are you in agreement with the following statements? If so, give reasons:
(1) Validity is more critical to measurement than reliability.
(2) Stability and equivalence aspects of reliability essentially mean the same thing.
(3) Content validity is the most difficult type of validity to determine.
(4) There is no difference between concept development and concept specification.
(5) Reliable measurement is necessarily a valid measurement.
3. Point out the possible sources of error in measurement. Describe the tests of sound measurement.
4. Are the following nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio data? Explain your answers.
(a) Temperatures measured on the Kelvin scale.
(b) Military ranks.
(c) Social security numbers.
(d) Number of passengers on buses from Delhi to Mumbai.
(e) Code numbers given to the religion of persons attempting suicide.
5. Discuss the relative merits and demerits of:
(a) Rating vs. Ranking scales.
(b) Summated vs. Cumulative scales.
(c) Scalogram analysis vs. Factor analysis.
6. The following table shows the results of a paired-comparison preference test of four cold drinks from a
sample of 200 persons:
Name Coca Cola Limca Goldspot Thumps up
Coca Cola – 60 * 105 45
Limca 160 – 150 70
Goldspot 75 40 – 65
Thumps up 165 120 145 –
* To be read as 60 persons preferred Limca over Coca Cola.
(a) How do these brands rank in overall preference in the given sample.
(b) Develop an interval scale for the four varieties of cold drinks.
7. (1) Narrate the procedure for developing a scalogram and illustrate the same by an example.
(2) Workout Guttman’s coefficient of reproducibility from the following information:
Number of cases (N) = 30
Number of items (n) = 6
Number of errors (e) = 10
Interpret the meaning of coefficient you work out in this example.
8. Write short notes on:
(a) Semantic differential scale;
(b) Scalogram analysis;