Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Chapter 5: Measurement: Research Using Numbers
Test Bank
Multiple-Choice
1. A course in communication ethics is essential to my career.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree
The above is an example of a ______.
a. semantic differential scale
b. polynomial scale
c. nominal scale
d. Likert-type scale
2. The leadership in my organization is ______.
Powerful – – – Weak
The above is an example of a ______.
a. Likert-type scale
b. semantic differential scale
c. polynomial scale
d. nominal scale
3. The acronym “NOIR” stands for ______.
a. nominative – ordinal – interval – ratio
b. nominal – ordinal – interval – ratio
c. nominal – ordinal – intervening – ratio
d. nominative – ordinal – interval – rational
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
4. “Press, radio, television” is an example of what level of measurement?
a. nominal
b. ordinal
c. interval
d. ratio
5. Rank order questions are an example of ______ measurement.
a. nominal
b. phenomenal
c. ordinal
d. interval
6. “Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior” is an example of what level of
measurement?
a. nominal
b. ordinal
c. interval
d. ratio
7. A Likert scale is an example of what kind of measurement?
a. nominal
b. ordinal
c. interval
d. ratio
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
8. The basic characteristic of interval measures is the assumption of ______.
a. varying intervals between points on a scale
b. equal intervals between points on a scale
c. true zero that captures the absence of an attribute
d. labeling and classification
9. Ratio scales have values that ______.
a. can be computed and a true zero
b. can be computed and no true zero
c. cannot be computed and no true zero
d. cannot be computed and a true zero
10. Parallel forms, split half, and item-total are all ______.
a. types of experimental design
b. principles of visual composition
c. tests for validity
d. tests for reliability
11. Correlation scores range between ______.
a. 0 and 1
b. 0 and 10
d. 1 and 10
e. 1 and 100
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
12. The secret to high intercoder or observer reliability is(are) ______.
a. thorough using surveys only
b. clear definitions and classifications of observed behaviors
c. random selection of observers
d. using qualitative interviews
13. Proprietary measurement instruments are instruments that ______.
a. may be used without permission
b. have been copyrighted
c. are not useful for research
d. are not owned by others
14. Valid measures should show everything EXCEPT ______.
a. a close relationship to similar measures
b. no relationship to dissimilar measures
c. precise wording
d. inaccurate information
15. Reification means that a concept or abstraction is ______.
a. simplified
b. quantified
c. treated as a real thing
d. reliable
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
16. Likert-format questions use a scale anchored by ______.
a. words with opposite meanings
b. “strongly agree” and “strongly disagree”
c. 0 and 10
d. “yes” and “no”
17. Semantic differential-format questions use a scale anchored by ______.
a. words with opposite meanings
b. “strongly agree” and “strongly disagree”
c. 0 and 10
d. “yes” and “no”
18. Which of the following is a type of reliability?
a. inter-item
b. construct
c. convergent
d. divergent
e. predictive
19. Which of the following is a measure of validity?
a. established measures
b. split half
c. inter-item
d. content
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
True/False
1. The established measures technique is a measure of validity.
2. Likert and semantic differential questions have the same format.
3. Likert-format questions use a scale anchored by words with opposite
meanings.
4. Semantic differential-format questions use a scale anchored by “strongly
agree” and “strongly disagree.”
5. “Construct,” “convergent,” “divergent,” and “predictive” are all types of reliability
measures.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
6. “Established measures,” “split half,” and “inter–item” are all types of validity
measures.
7. “Numeral” refers to figures that are a basis of measurement and can be
computed.
8. The word number refers to figures that are labels and cannot be computed.
9. Numbers and numerals are different things.
10. NOIR in research stands for Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
11. The only numbers researchers can get from nominal variables are counts or
percentages.
12. Interval measures assume an equal distance between points on a scale.
13. Ratio scales measure from a “true” zero point.
14. Nominal and ordinal data are considered discrete variables.
15. Interval and ratio data are considered continuous variables.
16. If your results are reliable, it means they must be accurate or true.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
17. If your results are reliable, it means other researchers doing your study
should get basically the same results each time.
18. Intercoder reliability attempts to show that a measure of communication will
produce the same results at two different times if everything else is the same.
19. In test–retest, a test is given to a group of people and then repeated, with the
same people, a week or two later.
20. Inter-item reliability checks that individual questions in a set are measuring
the same concept.
21. A split-half technique involves comparing results from your measurement to
the results from a measurement that has already been used and tested.
22. A 100% reliable instrument that measures the wrong thing can still be useful.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
23. If a measure has “face validity,” it means the questions appear to measure
what they’re supposed to measure.
24. Expert validity and face validity are roughly the same.
25. Construct validity predicts “real–world” outcomes.
26. An ideal study has strong validity and reliability.
27. A Likert scale may have response options of “strongly agree” to “strongly
disagree.”
28. The semantic differential scale uses a scale anchored by words with opposite
meanings.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Essay
1. Write one example each of a nominal, interval, and ratio variable.
2. How close can a measure ever come to capturing what it is supposed to
capture? Discuss, with examples to support your discussion.
3. Which of reliability or validity do you consider to be the most important in a
measure? Explain why.
4. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using Likert-type scales as a
way of measuring human communication.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
5. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using semantic differential
scales as a way of measuring human communication.
6. Write a brief explanation of reliability and validity to demonstrate that you
understand the difference between the two.
7. Discuss whether measurement scales can or cannot successfully capture such
concepts as intelligence, patriotism, love, or friendship. Support your reasoning
with examples wherever possible.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
8. Briefly explain why we care about the type of category our data collection falls
into?
9. How would you explain the concept of measurement to someone not in this
class?
10. What does zero mean in ratio-level measurement?
11. What is inter-item or internal reliability and why does it matter for our
measurement?
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020