Measurement in Communication Science

Catalog description

This course is concerned with the theory and technology of measuring variables relevant to the study of communication. In a phrase, the course is about construct validity. It consists of three major sections. The first focuses on how to devise and evaluate a conceptual definition, then create a corresponding operational definition. This section lays the groundwork for the subsequent sections that present data-analytic procedures for evaluating the correspondence between concept and operation. Part two of the course addresses measures in which the symbols reflective of the phenomenon are ordered. Specific topics include consistency indices of reliability, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. Part three emphasizes measurement of phenomena for which the symbols are not ordered, that is, the measurement of categories. It covers the creation and evaluation of coding schemes as they are used in verbal protocols, content analysis, and social interaction analysis as well as agreement indices of reliability. The overarching goal of the course is to impart some of the conceptual and practical skills necessary for conducting social scientific research.