TESTS OF MEASUREMENT AND QUALITY

NEENA.K.M. 2. SEM M.COM. DCMS

MEANING OF MEASUREMENT
Measurement is a relatively complex and demanding task specially when it concerns qualitative or abstract phenomena. By measurement we mean the process of assigning numbers to objects or observations, the level of measurement being a function of the rules under which the numbers are assigned.

DEFINITION OF MEASUREMENT
According to Torgerson, measurement is the assignment of numbers to objects represents amounts or degrees of property possessed by all objects.
Technically speaking, measurement is a process of mapping aspects of a domain onto other aspects of a range according to some rule of correspondence.

OBJECTIVES OF MEASUREMENT

To facilitate empirical explanation of social and psychological phenomena. Measuring devices help the researcher to classify variables, which he observes.
It renders data amenable to statistical manipulation and treatment. The application of statistical techniques for comparing and studying the relationship between variables is possible only if the data collected can be manipulated.

 It facilitates testing of theories and hypotheses.

Theories are formulated to predict and explain a social and psychological phenomenon.

It enables the researcher to differentiate between

objects or people in terms of function.

TESTS OF MEASUREMENT
Test of reliability Test of validity Test of generalizability

1. TEST OF RELIABILITY
A measuring instrument is reliable if it provides consistent results. Reliable instrument contributes to validity, but a reliable instrument may not be a valid instrument. However a valid instrument is always reliable.

METHODS FOR ASSESSING THE RELIABILITY

There are mainly two methods for assessing the reliability.

Test re-test method Split-half method

Test re-test method

It is a conservative method to estimate reliability. The idea behind it is that one should get the same score on a given test on repetitive testing. There are three main components to this method. Administering the measurement instrument for each subject at two separate times to test for stability. A high stability correlation between the two measures at Time-1 and Time-2 indicates high degree of reliability. Assume there is no change in the underlying conditions between Test-1 and Test-2.

Split-half method
The technique of splitting halves is the most basic method for checking internal consistency when a measure contains a large number of items. In the split-half method, one may calculate results from onehalf of the scale items and check them against the results from the other half of the items.

2. TEST OF VALIDITY
Validity is one of the most critical criteria which indicates the degree to which an instrument measures that it is supposed to measure. There are four types of validity commonly examined in research methods. Internal validity asks if there is a cause and effect relationship between the programme and the outcome. External validity refers to our ability to generalize the results of our study to other settings.

 Construct validity is the most complex and abstract.

If measurements on our devised scale correlate in a predicted way with other propositions, we can conclude that there is some construct validity. Conclusion validity asks is there a relationship between the programme and the observed outcome.

3. TEST OF GENERALIZABILITY
Generalizability can be termed as the ability to explain the same (similar) phenomena at all times and in all places without necessarily having to study it directly at all times and in all places. Unless we can make some generalizations, we are not pushing our knowledge forward and that is the whole point of research.

CONCLUSION
Measurement of variables is one of the important stages in research process. The various tests used for measuring the variables include test of reliability, test of validity and test of generalizability.

REFERENCES
Research methods for Graduate Business and
Social Science StudentsJohn Adams & Hafiz T.A.Khan.

Research Methodology-Methods &

TechniquesC.R.Kothari.

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