Russel-Research-Method-in-Anthropology

The Foundations of Social Research 45
average score in 1975 (Twenge 1997). And these data, remember, reflect the
attitudes of college students—the quarter of the population whom we expect
to be at the vanguard of social change. As the AWS gets more and more out
of date, it gets used less frequently, but each time it does get used, it provides
another set of data about how attitudes toward women have changed over time
and across cultures. (For an assessment of the AWS, see Loo and Thorpe
1998.)
Levels of Measurement
Whenever you define a variable operationally, you do so at some level of
measurement. Most social scientists recognize the following four levels of
measurement, in ascending order: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. The
general principle in research is: Always use the highest level of measurement
that you can. (This principle will be clear by the time you get through the next
couple of pages.)
Nominal Variables
A variable is something that can take more than one value. The values of a
nominal variable comprise a list of names (name is nomen in Latin). You
can list religions, occupations, and ethnic groups; and you can also list fruits,
emotions, body parts, things to do on the weekend, baseball teams, rock stars
. . . the list of things you can list is endless.
Think of nominal variables as questions, the answers to which tell you nothing
about degree or amount. What’s your name? In what country were you
born? Are you healthy? On the whole, do you think the economy is in good
shape? Is Mexico in Latin America? Is Bangladesh a poor country? Is Switzerland
a rich country?
The following survey item is an operationalization of the nominal variable
called ‘‘religious affiliation’’:
26a. Do you identify with any religion? (check one)
□ Yes □ No
If you checked ‘‘yes,’’ then please answer question 26b.
26b. What is your religion? (check one):
□ Protestant
□ Catholic
□ Jewish
□ Moslem
□ Other religion
□ No religion