To:  Dr. Spencer Baker
sbaker@odu.edu;

From:  Thomas Meyer
tmeyer@ph.vccs.edu
(276) 656-0283
Patrick Henry Community College

Subject:  Statistics - w/  Dr.Spencer Baker - Homework Assignment #1, Ch 1 - Problem 17, page25.

filename: StatHW1Ch1Prob17page25TomMeyer.doc

Facts:

Self-esteem may depend upon cultural values, such as upbringing within national borders that emphasize individualism, or within borders that emphasize collectivism.  Achievement motivation may also differ between cultures.  Men and women of various ages may also respond differently to such measures.

What variables would you want to measure?

Answer: 

Gender
Age
Cultural Orientation: (collectivist or indiviualism)
Achievement motivation
Self-esteem

How would you measure them?

Answer:
Gender - response on a survey
Age - response on a survey
Cultural Orientation: (collectivist or individualism) - respondents could be randomly chosen from nations regarded as having such orientation
Achievement motivation - Lickert scale survey
Self-esteem - Lickert scale survey

What level of scale does each variable represent?

                 

  Variable Nominal Scale Ordinal Scale Interval Scale Ratio scale
a. Culture
Individualistic; Collectivist
X      
b. Gender
Male; female
X      
c. Self-esteem     X  
d. Achievement motivation     X  
e.          

What questions would you have about the data?  How would you answer them?

1A.  Does self-esteem differ between men in individualistic and collectivist cultures?

1B.  Does self-esteem differ between women in individualistic and collectivist cultures?

2A.  Is the role of individuals emphasized more strongly than the role of families and groups among men in individualistic cultures?

2B.  Is the role of individuals emphasized more strongly than the role of families and groups among women in individualistic cultures?

2C.  Is the role of individuals emphasized more strongly than the role of families and groups among men in collectivist cultures?

2D.  Is the role of individuals emphasized more strongly than the role of families and groups among women in collectivist cultures?

 

To answer these:

Randomly select participants from cultures that emphasize individualism (such as the USA, Canada, the Netherlands).
Randomly select participants from cultures that emphasize collectivism (such as Japan, Mexico, and Hutterites within the United States).
Record the culture and gender of respondents.
Record the answers of the respondents to a battery of questions designed to measure individualistic self-esteem, collectivist self-esteem, and motivation.
Write the battery of questions in the native language of each respondent.
 

Tom Meyer

Thomas Meyer