Thanh V. Tran
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195325089
- eISBN:
- 9780199864515
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195325089.003.0006
- Subject:
- Social Work, Research and Evaluation
In comparative research — whether it is cross-cultural, cross-national, or multigroup comparison — the assumption of measurement equivalence is crucially important. If nonequivalent measures were ...
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In comparative research — whether it is cross-cultural, cross-national, or multigroup comparison — the assumption of measurement equivalence is crucially important. If nonequivalent measures were used, the outcomes would be seriously biased. Equivalence is the fundamental issue in cross-cultural research and evaluation. A cross-cultural comparison can be misleading for two reasons: (1) comparison is made using different attributes and (2) comparison is made using different scale units. But even when the problems of equivalence in attributes and scale units are resolved, it does not warrant a valid cross-cultural comparison. In every step of the research process, the researcher must ensure that equivalence in concept, operationalization, methods, analysis, and interpretation receive the same attention.Less
In comparative research — whether it is cross-cultural, cross-national, or multigroup comparison — the assumption of measurement equivalence is crucially important. If nonequivalent measures were used, the outcomes would be seriously biased. Equivalence is the fundamental issue in cross-cultural research and evaluation. A cross-cultural comparison can be misleading for two reasons: (1) comparison is made using different attributes and (2) comparison is made using different scale units. But even when the problems of equivalence in attributes and scale units are resolved, it does not warrant a valid cross-cultural comparison. In every step of the research process, the researcher must ensure that equivalence in concept, operationalization, methods, analysis, and interpretation receive the same attention.
