WHAT IS DATA?

EDUC 894 Week 3

Plan for Today

Reading Cheques & Tech Talk Erickan and Roth – What is Data? Human Subjects Discussion----------Dinner Break------------- Groupwork & Team Consultations

RQ honing + Methods & Methodology Planning Human Subjects / Logistics Planning

For Next Week Review relevant chapters in Creswell – what is

useful? Deliverable 1 Due Next Week

Ercikan & Roth – What is Data?

Data are Just Representations Two aspects of phenomena in the world:

Quantitative (continuous, additive structure, magnitude)

Qualitative (discontinuous, non additive, multitude)

What’s the difference? Let’s look at some examples:

Material Situation Social Situation

Quick Check…

Source: http://shrimpandgrits.rickandpatty.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/iodinesetup.jpg

Source: http://images.theage.com.au/ftage/ffximage/2009/04/09/spirit_wideweb__470x314,0.jpg

Quick Check

Which Kind of Data Involves measurement?

Best represents someone’s ethnicity?

Lead to generalizable claims?

Is more objective?

The Myth of Psychological Measurement

Classic Definition of Measurement “the estimation of the ratio of a magnitude of a

quantity to a unit of the same quantity” (Michell, 1999)

Quantity = number * unit Once a base unit is defined, we can have any multiple

Example: The Kilogram International prototype kept

under 3 bell jars in a vault at the BIPM

2 kg is twice as much mass as the base unit

Image source: http://www.bipm.org/en/si/base_units/

So what do we have in psychology? Constructs: E.g. self-esteem

Do we all agree on what it is? Theoretically, maybe:“the confidence and

satisfaction a person has in him/herself” How do we measure it?

Operational definitions For example, a 3 factor definitions

Internal locus of control Sense of belonging and acceptance Sense of competence:

Indirectly through responses to specific questions on each factor (“a sampling of indicators”) The common “Likert scale”

So what do we have in psychology? 2 But, what does 1 unit of self-esteem look like?

Do we all agree on this? Is 2 units of self-esteem twice as much as 1

unit? How do we know?

What does it mean to have 0 self-esteem Can we have negative self-esteem? Does self-esteem only vary in one way?

These may sound like silly questions – but statistical calculations assume that “quantities” have these properties

Psychological Definition of Measurement

“The assignment of numbers to quantities of the properties of an object according to certain rules” (Stevens, 1946)

4 Kinds of scales Ratio (“Distance to where I am standing right

now”) Interval (“30o Celsius this weekend”) Ordinal (“Toy Poodle is Best in Show”) Nominal (“It’s a boy”)

Which takes us back to Erickan and Roth’s point…

Erickan & Roth’s Call to Arms Let your Research Questions drive your

methods What kind of question are you asking?

What is happening? Is there a systemic effect? Why/how is it happening?

What level of inference is required? How will you collect and analyze data to

make that inference? How will both quantitative and

qualitative aspects of the phenomenon your are studying come into play?

Human Subjects Discussion

Research Ethics – Key Concepts Informed Consent

What informationHow to consent

Right to Withdraw Risks versus Benefits

Evaluating the trade-off

Anticipating & minimizing the risk

Informing the subjects

ConfidentialityData storage and

collectionConflict of interest

OversightCourse “review board”Providing my contact

information

Dinner Break

Groupwork & Team Consultations

For Next Week

Review relevant chapters in Creswell What is useful? On your wiki collaboratively make a list of

Chapters you found useful Specific points in the chapters to keep in mind

as you craft your methods Deliverable 1 Due Next Week

Please bring a hard copy to next class