POL251_HW2_Key_forstudents
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POL 251: Introduction to Political Science Research Methods
Homework #2
Due Thursday, September 22, 2022 @ 2:30pm
Total Points = 11
Question 1:
Two researchers have created different operational measures for gauging individuals’ levels of political
knowledge. Both measures use a scale that ranges from 0 (low knowledge) to 100 (high knowledge). Assume
that you know – but the researchers do not know – that the “true” level of political knowledge is 75. Using her
measure, the first researcher obtains the following four measurements of individual political knowledge: 70,
71, 69, 70. Using his measure, the second researcher obtains the following four measurements of political
knowledge: 77, 71, 79, 73.
(1)
Which measure is more
reliable
, the first researcher’s measure or the second researcher’s
measure? Explain your answer.
The first researcher's measure is more reliable because the four answers are more precise – they
range only 2 points (69 to 71). The second researcher's measure has a wider, more imprecise
range.
(2)
Which measure is more
valid
, the first researcher’s measure or the second researcher’s measure?
Explain your answer.
The second researchers measure is more valid because the answers are more accurate – the average of the
four answers is 75, the true level of political knowledge. The first researcher's answers have a mean of 70,
which is "off" by 5 points from the true level.
Question 2:
The Implicit Association Test (IAT) measures individual reactions to groups. Take any IAT test from
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
.
(1)
Cut and paste a screenshot of your results from the test below.
Need screenshot of their result for
credit.
(2) What
concept
is being measured by the IAT? Make your response specific to the test that you
took.
The extent to which someone has an implicit preference for {insert one group that was in
their test} over {insert the other group that was in their test}. For example: The IAT is measuring
the concept of an individual's bias or preferences based on someone's race.
(3)
Do you believe that this is a
valid
measure of the concept (i.e. does it possess any kind of
systematic errors
)? Why or why not?
If they talk about something systematically wrong about the
test, then they get credit. Anything thoughtful here usually gets credit unless it is obvious that they
are talking about a random error (like they got distracted). Usually students mention that this is
about handedness or typing speech/ability – and those would be correct.
(4)
The Test-Retest Method is one way of determining if a measure is reliable. To do this with the
IAT, take the SAME test that you took earlier, but wait at least a day after the initial test. Cut and
paste a screenshot of your results from this second test below. Based on your results on that IAT at
the two time points, would you say that it is a
reliable
measure? Why or why not? If not, what
kinds of
random error
do you think were present?
1
Make sure they have the screenshot of the second test, and that they took the same test. If
the results are the same across tests, then they should say it is reliable. If they get different results, then they
should say it's not reliable. Give leeway as you think appropriate if the results are different but close, and they
describe why they think that makes it reliable/unreliable in a reasonable way.
(5)
Pose a
research question
that includes the concept measured by the IAT and some political
phenomena. (Hint: Think about “What” and “Why” questions related to the concept that the IAT
measures, and how they relate to politics.)
As long as this RQ is related to the IAT they took, and it makes sense give full credit.
Question 3:
The concept of "
Electability
" has been used often during the 2020 Presidential campaigns – especially among
Democratic Party candidates who are trying to make the case that they can beat incumbent President Donald
Trump. But what exactly is "
Electability
"? What factors make someone more (or less) likely to win an
election?
Here are three recent articles that discuss "Electability" (including one that was assigned on the syllabus). Read
the following articles, and review the graph below from
The Economist
article. Then answer the following
questions.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-problem-with-electability/
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-we-actually-know-about-electability/
https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/02/01/who-will-be-donald-trumps-most-forceful-foe
(1)
How would you
conceptually define
"Electability"? Brainstorm the factors you think make a
candidate electable based on the articles, and list them below. Keep in mind that conceptual
definitions have to include characteristics of the concept that are
concrete
and
vary
.
2
As long as they are brainstorming candidate characteristics that seem related to getting elected, then give full
credit. Examples include: race, gender, ideology, personal funds, fundraising, age, previous experience
(2)
How would you
operationally define
"Electability"? What kinds of variables would you use to
measure electability of political candidates? List below
three variables
you would use to measure
electability, and describe what their values would be.
As long as they describe what the variables of their brainstormed characteristics are with associated values,
then give full credit. Ex: Gender measured as male, female, non-binary. Ex: Fundraising measured in dollars.
(3)
For each of the
three variables
you listed above to measure "Electability," list below what
type of
variable
it is (e.g., nominal, ordinal, interval, etc.)? Please explain why you chose that type of
variable.
They have to properly identify what kind of variable it is. Gender, race, religion are nominal. Ideology can be
ordinal/interval so long as they clearly say WHY they chose what they did. Money can be interval or ratio
depending on how they describe $0 (or 0 years for age). Make sure for each variable they say WHY they called
it each type.
(4)
For each of the
three variables
you listed above to measure "Electability," list below what their
unit of analysis
is (i.e. across which units do these variables vary)? (Hint: The unit of analysis
should be the same for all three variables.)
Unit of analysis is CANDIDATES. As long as they are talking about variation across individual candidates
give credit.
3
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