Foundations and Key Concepts
Foundations and Key Concepts
This chapter begins by introducing constructs and their relevance to measurement in social work research. Constructs can be thought of as complex concepts that are inferred or derived from a set of interrelated attributes of people, objects, or events; typically embedded in a theory; and often not directly observable but measured using multiple indicators. Attention is shifted to the importance of standardized measurement in social work research, along with the various kinds of measurement assumptions (i.e., theoretical, procedural, and statistical) and levels of precision (i.e., nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio). The chapter concludes with a discussion of the pivotal role played by measurement throughout the research process and theory construction.
Keywords: constructs, concepts, standardized measurement, measurement assumptions, theory, research design
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