Question

Concepts, ideas, opinions, feelings, and other intangible entities are often labeled as “insubstantial phenomena.” Select one of the following 3 phenomena that would be considered insubstantial, and explain two different ways — one qualitative and one quantitative — that you might measure it: a) the closeness of undergraduates’ social network friends; b) the “campus climate” at your university; c) “irrational exuberance” about the stock market.

Answer 1

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

I am going to refer to the concept of the “campus climate” at my university.

The quantitative explanation would be this one. If the Board of Directors of the University wants to make decisions based on cold data, just in numbers, then they have to implement research with surveys to get the desired numbers. This information has to be interpreted, put in graphics and the information can help the Board to make decisions. However, cold data do not say everything. To be accurate you need quality information. So the qualitative explanation would be that there are elements that numbers cannot transmit. That is when you go and observe students' and teacher's behaviors on a daily basis. Yo go to the cafeteria, to the student's center, to the recreational center, and do observation. Then you ask open questions. You want to know people's feelings and opinions because there lies so much information that numbers can never convey.