POS 3703 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2026
Concept - Answers An idea or mental construct that represents phenomena in the real world.
Conceptual Question - Answers A question expressed using ideas, is frequently unclear and thus is
difficult to answer empirically.
Concrete Question - Answers A question expressed using tangible properties, can be answered
empirically.
Conceptual Definition - Answers Describes clearly the concept's measurable properties and specifies
the unites of analysis to which the concept applies.
Operational Definition - Answers Describes the instrument to be used in measuring the concept and
putting a conceptual definition "into operation."
Conceptual Dimension - Answers Defined by a set of concrete traits of a similar type.
Unit of Analysis - Answers Is the entity we want to describe and analyze; it is the entity to which the
concept applies.
Individual- Level Unit of Analysis - Answers When a concept describes a phenomenon at its lowest
possible level.
Aggregate- Level Unit of Analysis - Answers A collection of individual entities.
Ecological Fallacy - Answers Arises when an aggregate level phenomenon is used to make inferences
at the individual level.
Systematic Measurement Error - Answers Introduces consistent, chronic distortion into an empirical
measurement.
Random Measurement Error - Answers Introduces haphazard, chaotic distortion into the
measurement process, producing inconsistent operational readings of a concept.
Reliability - Answers The extent to which it is a consistent measure of a concept.
Validity - Answers The extent to which it records the true value of the intended characteristic and
does not measure any unintended characteristics.
Test-Retest Method - Answers Investigator applies the measure once and then applies it again to the
same units of analysis.
Cross-Sectional Study - Answers Contains information on units of analysis measured at one point in
time.
Face Validity - Answers The investigator uses informed judgement to determine whether an
operational procedure is measuring what it is supposed to measure.
Construct Validity - Answers The researcher examines the empirical relationships between a
measurement and other concepts to which it should be related.
Variable - Answers An empirical measurement of a characteristic.
Ordinal- Level Variable - Answers Communicates relative differences between units of analysis; can be
ranked.
Index - Answers An additive combination of ordinal variables, each of which is coded identically, and
all of which are measures of the same concept.
Central Tendency - Answers Typical or average value.
Mode - Answers The most common value of a variable, the value that contains the largest number of
cases of units of analysis.
Median - Answers The value of a variable that divides the cases right down the middle- half the cases
having values below and half the cases having values above the middle.
Mean - Answers Closest to the term average; used with interval level variables
Dispersion - Answers Variation or spread of cases across its values.
Frequency Distribution - Answers Tabular summary of a variable's values.
Raw Frequency - Answers Reports the number of individuals giving a response.
Total Frequency - Answers Total of raw frequencies.
Bimodal Distribution - Answers A frequency distribution having two different values that are heavily
populated with cases.
Percentile - Answers Reports the percentage of cases in a distribution that lie below it.
Positive Skew - Answers Distributions with longer, or skinnier, right hand tail
Negative Skew - Answers Distributions with longer, or skinnier, left hand tail
Hypothesis - Answers A testable statement about the empirical relationship between cause and
effect.
Dependent Variable - Answers The variable that represents the effect in a causal explanation.
Concept - Answers An idea or mental construct that represents phenomena in the real world.
Conceptual Question - Answers A question expressed using ideas, is frequently unclear and thus is
difficult to answer empirically.
Concrete Question - Answers A question expressed using tangible properties, can be answered
empirically.
Conceptual Definition - Answers Describes clearly the concept's measurable properties and specifies
the unites of analysis to which the concept applies.
Operational Definition - Answers Describes the instrument to be used in measuring the concept and
putting a conceptual definition "into operation."
Conceptual Dimension - Answers Defined by a set of concrete traits of a similar type.
Unit of Analysis - Answers Is the entity we want to describe and analyze; it is the entity to which the
concept applies.
Individual- Level Unit of Analysis - Answers When a concept describes a phenomenon at its lowest
possible level.
Aggregate- Level Unit of Analysis - Answers A collection of individual entities.
Ecological Fallacy - Answers Arises when an aggregate level phenomenon is used to make inferences
at the individual level.
Systematic Measurement Error - Answers Introduces consistent, chronic distortion into an empirical
measurement.
Random Measurement Error - Answers Introduces haphazard, chaotic distortion into the
measurement process, producing inconsistent operational readings of a concept.
Reliability - Answers The extent to which it is a consistent measure of a concept.
Validity - Answers The extent to which it records the true value of the intended characteristic and
does not measure any unintended characteristics.
Test-Retest Method - Answers Investigator applies the measure once and then applies it again to the
same units of analysis.
Cross-Sectional Study - Answers Contains information on units of analysis measured at one point in
time.
Face Validity - Answers The investigator uses informed judgement to determine whether an
operational procedure is measuring what it is supposed to measure.
Construct Validity - Answers The researcher examines the empirical relationships between a
measurement and other concepts to which it should be related.
Variable - Answers An empirical measurement of a characteristic.
Ordinal- Level Variable - Answers Communicates relative differences between units of analysis; can be
ranked.
Index - Answers An additive combination of ordinal variables, each of which is coded identically, and
all of which are measures of the same concept.
Central Tendency - Answers Typical or average value.
Mode - Answers The most common value of a variable, the value that contains the largest number of
cases of units of analysis.
Median - Answers The value of a variable that divides the cases right down the middle- half the cases
having values below and half the cases having values above the middle.
Mean - Answers Closest to the term average; used with interval level variables
Dispersion - Answers Variation or spread of cases across its values.
Frequency Distribution - Answers Tabular summary of a variable's values.
Raw Frequency - Answers Reports the number of individuals giving a response.
Total Frequency - Answers Total of raw frequencies.
Bimodal Distribution - Answers A frequency distribution having two different values that are heavily
populated with cases.
Percentile - Answers Reports the percentage of cases in a distribution that lie below it.
Positive Skew - Answers Distributions with longer, or skinnier, right hand tail
Negative Skew - Answers Distributions with longer, or skinnier, left hand tail
Hypothesis - Answers A testable statement about the empirical relationship between cause and
effect.
Dependent Variable - Answers The variable that represents the effect in a causal explanation.
