Indexes, Scales, and Typologies

1
Chapter 6

• Indexes, Scales, and Typologies

2
Chapter Outline

• Introduction
• Indexes versus Scales
• Index Construction
• Scale Construction
• Typologies

3
Index and Scale

• Index
• Constructed by accumulating scores assigned to
  individual attributes.
• Scale
• Constructed by assigning scores to patterns of
  responses, recognizing that some items reflect a
  weak degree of the variable while others reflect
  something stronger.

4
Question

• In order to achieve broad coverage of various
  dimensions of a concept, researchers need to
  make____________.
• single observations
• field research observations
• multiple observations
• none of these choices

5
Answer C

• In order to achieve broad coverage of various
  dimensions of a concept, researchers need to make
  multiple observations.

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Index and Scale Similarities

• Both are ordinal measures of variables.
• Both rank order units of analysis in terms of
  specific variables.
• Both are measurements based on more than one data
  item.

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Index and ScaleScoring Differences

• Index
• Accumulate scores assigned to individual
  attributes.
• Scale
• Assign scores to patterns of responses.

8
Question

• Which of the following are common characteristics
  shared by both indexes and scales?
• both are ordinal measures
• both rank-order units in terms of specific
  variables
• both are composite measures
• all of these choices

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Answer D

• The following are common characteristics shared
  by both indexes and scales both are ordinal
  measure, both rank-order units in terms of
  specific variables, and both are composite
  measures.

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Index-Construction Logic

• Below are political actions with similar degrees
  of activism. To create an index we might give
  people 1 point for each of the actions theyve
  taken.

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Scale-Construction Logic

• Below are political actions with different
  degrees of activism. To construct a scale we
  might score people according to which of the
  ideal patterns most closely describes them.

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Constructing an Index

• Select items for a composite index.
• Examine empirical relationships.
• Assign scores for responses.
• Handle missing data.
• Validate the index.

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Selecting Items

• Criteria
• Face (logical) validity
• Unidimensionality
• General or specific
• Variance

14
Question

• Which of the following represent steps in the
  construction of an index?
• selecting possible items
• examining empirical relationships
• scoring the index
• all of these choices

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Answer D

• The following represent steps in the construction
  of an index selecting possible items, examining
  empirical relationships and scoring the index.

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Bivariate Relationships Among Scientific
Orientation Items
17
Trivariate Relationships Among Scientific
Orientation Items
18
Hypothetical Trivariate Relationship Among
Scientific Orientation Items
19
Empirical Relationships

• Established when respondents answers to one
  question help predict how they will answer other
  questions.
• If two items are empirically related, we can
  argue that each reflects the same variable, and
  both can be included in the same index.

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Question

• An empirical relationship is established when
  respondents answers to one question help us
  ___________.
• observe a statistical correlation between the two
  variables
• determine their current level of tolerance
• explain away the observed correlation
• predict how theyll answer other questions
• none of these choices

21
Answer D

• An empirical relationship is established when
  respondents answers to one question help us
  predict how theyll answer other questions.

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Assign Scores for Responses

• Two basic decisions
• Decide the desirable range of the index scores.
• Decide whether to give each item in the index
  equal weight or different weights.

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Ways to Handle Missing Data

• Exclude cases with missing data from the
  construction of the index and the analysis.
• Treat missing data as one of the available
  responses.
• Analyze missing data to interpret the meaning.

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Validate the Index

• Item Analysis - internal validation.
• External validation - ranking of groups on the
  index should predict the ranking of groups in
  answering similar or related questions.

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Techniques of Scale Construction

• Bogardus social distance scale - measures the
  willingness of people to participate in social
  relations.
• Thurstone scales - judges determine the intensity
  of different indicators.

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Techniques of Scale Construction

• Likert scaling - uses standardized response
  categories.
• Semantic differential -asks respondents to rank
  answers between two extremes.
• Guttman scaling - uses an empirical intensity
  structure (most common).

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Semantic Differential Feelings about Musical
Selections

• The semantic differential asks respondents to
  describe something or someone in terms of
  opposing adjectives.

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Scaling Support for Choice of Abortion
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Scaling Support for Choice of Abortion
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Index and Scale Scores
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Index and Scale Scores
32
Question

• Which of these represents a questionnaire format
  in which the respondent is asked to rate
  something in terms of two?
• cross-sectional studies
• longitudinal studies
• semantic differential
• all of these choices

33
Answer C

• Semantic differential represents a questionnaire
  format in which the respondent is asked to rate
  something in terms of two.

34
Typologies

• The classification (typically nominal) of
  observations in terms of their attributes on two
  or more variables.
• The classification of newspapers as
  liberal-urban, liberal-rural, conservative-urban,
  or conservative-rural would be an example.

35
A Political Typology of Newspapers
36
Quick Quiz
37

• 1. We construct a(n)_________ simply by
  accumulating scores assigned to individual
  attributes.
• study
• measurement
• scale
• index

38
Answer D

• We construct a index simply by accumulating
  scores assigned to individual attributes.

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• 2. Which of the following statements are true?
• constructing indexes is a simple undertaking
• both scales and indexes are equally superior to
  one another
• indexes are generally superior to scales
• scales are generally superior to indexes

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Answer D

• Scales are generally superior to indexes.

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• 3. Which of the following represent decisions
  that must be made when scoring indexes?
• one must decide the range of index scores that
  are desirable
• one must decide how to assign scores for each
  response
• both a and b
• none of these choices

42
Answer C

• The following represent decisions that must be
  made when scoring indexes one must decide the
  range of index scores that are desirable and one
  must decide how to assign scores for each
  response.

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• 4. _____________ is the process of testing the
  validity of a measure by examining its
  relationship to other indicators of the same
  variable.
• theoretical analysis
• internal validation
• external validation
• conceptualization
• none of these choices

44
Answer C

• External validation is the process of testing the
  validity of a measure by examining its
  relationship to other indicators of the same
  variable.

45

• 5. Typologies should always be avoided in social
  research.
• True
• False

46
Answer False

• Typologies should not always be avoided in social
  research.