What is a c oncept?

Bryman: Social Research Methods, 4th edition

What is a concept?

• Concepts are:

• Building blocks of theory • Labels that we give to elements of the social world• Categories for the organization of ideas and observations

(Bulmer, 1984)

• Concepts are useful for:

• Providing an explanation of a certain aspect of the social world• Standing for things we want to explain • Giving a basis for measuring variation

63


Why measure?

• To delineate fine differences between people, organizations, or any other unit of analysis

• To provide a consistent device for gauging distinctions

• To produce precise estimates of the degree of the relationship between concepts

Page 164


• Produced by the operational definition of a concept

• Less directly quantifiable than measures• Common sense understandings of the form a concept might take

• Multiple-indicator measures• concept may have different dimensions

Indicators of concepts

Pages 164, 165


Why use more than one indicator?

• Single indicators may incorrectly classify many individuals

• Single indicators may capture only a portion of the underlying concept or be too general

• Multiple indicators can make finer distinctions between individuals

• Multiple indicators can capture different dimensions of a concept

Pages 166, 167


What does reliability mean?

• Stability• is the measure stable over time?

• e.g. test–retest method

• Internal reliability• are the indicators consistent?

• e.g. split-half method

• Inter-observer consistency• is the measure consistent between observers?

Key concept 7.3Page 169


Does the indicator measure the concept?

It does if it has:• Face validity (right for the concept?)• Concurrent validity (supported by a relevant criterion

today?)• Predictive validity (likely to be supported by a relevant

criterion tomorrow?)• Construct validity (are useful hypotheses produced?)• Convergent validity (supported by results from other

methods?

What does validity mean?

Page 171, 172


Causality

• Explanation • why things are the way they are

• Direction of causal influence• relationship between dependent & independent variables

• Confidence • in the researcher's causal inferences

Pages 175, 176


Generalization

• Can findings be generalized beyond the confines of the particular context?

• Can findings be generalized from sample to population?

• How representative are samples?

Page 176


Replication

• Minimizing contamination from researcher biases or values

• Explicit description of procedures

• Control of conditions of study

• Ability to replicate in differing contexts

Page 177


The process of quantitative research

Figure 7.1, page 161


• Failure to distinguish between objects in the natural world and social phenomena

• Artificial and spurious sense of precision and accuracy

• Lack of ecological validity• reliance on instruments and measurements

• Static view of social life

Criticisms of quantitative research

Pages 178, 179


• Published accounts of quantitative research rarely report evidence of reliability and validity (Podsakoff & Dalton, 1987)

• Researchers are primarily interested in the substantive content and findings of their research

• Running tests of reliability and validity may seem an unappealing alternative!

• But researchers remain committed to the principles of good practice

Pages 180, 181

What is a c oncept?

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