Group 3

Research in applied
linguistics
Experimental Research
 Table of contents
01 02 03
Ordinal Scales Polytomous T-value and P-
and Ratio Scales variable value

04 05 06
Units of Treatment Q&A
measurement condition
01

Ordinal Scales and Ratio Scales

 Ordinal scales
Ordinal scales are for those variables which can be
given a ranking, such as first, second, third, but in
which the actual score itself is not given. (Nunan,
1992)

Example: Education level (primary, secondary, post-

secondary), income (low, middle, and high), overall status
(poor to excellent), likert scales ( strongly disagree to
strongly agree), rank (first, second, and third)
 Ratio scales
Ratio scales measure absolute values, such as temparature. Ratio scale are of little
interest in applied linguistic, because variable such as language proficiency do not
exist as absolute quantities; therefore, ratio scales will not dealt with further here.
(Nunan, 1992)

Example: temperature in Kelvin (with its

absolute zero that represents no
temperature), height, weight, speed, and
time periods.
02

Polytomous variable
 Polytomous (đa nguyên): refers to categorical variables with more than two
categories or levels.

“Polytomous variable is a statistical term that refers to a categorical variable

with more than two possible categories or levels. This type of variable can take
on more than two distinct values or categories, and it is also known as a multi-
category, multi-class, or multi-level variable.”

(Muhammad Hassan, 2023)

Polytomous Variable - Applications
Polytomous Variable – Characteristics
Categorical data: take on a limited set of distinct values or categories

Multiple categories or levels: have more than two categories or levels

Ordered or unordered categories: Ordered categories: low, medium, high.

Unordered categories: colors, types of fruit
Nominal or ordinal scale: Nominal scales: variables with unordered
categories; ordinal scales: variables with ordered categories.
Used in statistical analyses: logistic regression, factor analysis, cluster analysis

Can be converted to binary variables (biến nhị phân): when collapsing

categories (thu gọn danh mục) or creating dummy variables (tạo biến giả)
 Polytomous Variable –
Advantages & Limitations
Advantages: More precise measurement, Greater variability, More informative,
More accurate modeling, Better market segmentation

Limitations: Limited power, Subjectivity, Data analysis challenges, Response

bias, Small sample sizes
03

T-value and P- value

 T-value
The t-value is a statistic used in hypothesis testing to assess the difference between
sample means and determine if it is statistically significant.

Example: Unpaired t-value: two different groups with the same task
- placebo group vs. treatment group
- female vs. male
- Americans vs. Europeans
Paired t-value: same group twice:
- grip strength: before vs. after eating spinach
- quize scores: iPad notes vs. paper notes
Men’s average height vs. women’s
 P-value
The p-value is a measure of the evidence against a null hypothesis in hypothesis
testing.

It indicates the probability of observing the results of an experiment as extreme as the

ones obtained if the null hypothesis were true.
A smaller p-value suggests stronger evidence against the null hypothesis
 HOW TO CALCULATE
P-VALUE?
1. Assume the null hypothesis is true.

2. Pretent we repeat the experiment many times

3. What are the odds that random chance would produce a 4’’ difference?
Men are taller than women.

The null hypothesis is that men are as tall as

women.
04

Units of measurement
 Units of measurement
A unit of measurement is a definite magnitude of a quantity, defined and adopted by
convention or by law, that is used as a standard for measurement of the same kind of
quantity.

Example: a length is a physical quantity. The meter (symbol m) is a unit of length that
represents a definite predetermined length.
05

Treatment condition
 Treatment condition
In experimental research, the treatment condition refers to the specific
group or condition to which participants are exposed or assigned in order to
test the effect of an independent variable. It is one of the groups being
compared in an experiment.

For example, in psychological research, to determine whether a treatment works,

participants are randomly assigned to either a treatment condition, in which they receive
the treatment, or a control condition, in which they do not receive the treatment. If
participants in the treatment condition end up better off than participants in the control
condition, then the researcher can conclude that the treatment works.
06

Q&A
1. Which scales of measurement does the following question belong to?
A. Nominal scale B. Ratio scale C. Interval scale

How many years of work experience do you have in the travel sector?
A. 0 year
B. 2 years
C. 3 years
D. 4 years
E. 5 years
2. Which scales of measurement does the following question belong to?
A. Nominal scale B. Ratio scale C. Ordinal scale

How satisfied are you with our meal tonight?

A. Very satisfied
B. Satisfied
C. Indifferent
D. Dissatisfied
E. Very dissatisfied
3. Categorical variables with more than 2 categories or levels

A. Dichotomous B. Polytomous C. Unit of measurement

4.Which of the following is an example of a polytomous variable?

A. Gender (Male/Female) B. Yes/No response

C.Education level(High School/College/Graduate)

5. If the sample data equals the null hypothesis precisely, the t-test produces a t-
value of ....

A. 1 B. 0 C. 10

6. As the sample data become progressively dissimilar from the null hypothesis,
the absolute value of the t-value ....

A. Decreases B. remains unchanged C. increase

7. Electron volt is a unit of

A. Charge
B. Potential difference
C. Energy
D. Magnetic Force

8. The participants in a treatment condition will

A. receive the treatment

B. not receive the treatment

C. get a better result

 Group 3

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