Page 114 - Comparing Political Communication Theories, Cases, and Challenge

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Werner Wirth and Steffen Kolb

Structure-oriented questions will generally call for relatively simple
research designs, as the relationship of variables is in question. Level-
oriented questions need more complex designs and a higher level of
equivalence. In addition, they require more data that may have an effect
on the structure or the single values (van de Vijver and Leung 1996,
269–71; 1997, 21–3).

Emic and Etic Strategy of Operationalization
Before the operationalizing of an international comparison, the re-
search team has to analyze construct equivalence to prove comparability.
If an equivalent structure of subdimensions can be found in every coun-
tryinquestion,constructequivalenceiswellestablished.Dothedifferent
national contexts really allow for the assumption that, for example, the
“ritual”ofwatchingtelevisionnewshasanequalfunctioninthecountries
under examination? To be sure, the researchers have to demonstrate that
the construct (e.g., ritual of television news watching) consists of the
same dimensions, perhaps with different characteristics. Whenever they
fail to do so, the construct cannot be measured equivalently in every
country. It is important to state that the decision of whether or not to
use the same instruments in every country does not have any impact on
the problem of a lack of construct equivalence.
When construct equivalence is missing, the researchers can undertake
their study following an emic approach: The operationalization for the
measurement of the construct(s) is developed nationally, to provide for a
highly adequate, culturally specific national instrument. The idea behind
thisprocedureistomeasure,forexample,theritualofwatchingtelevision
news correctly, in other words, culture-specifically. The comparison on
the construct level remains possible, even though the instruments vary
culturally, because functional equivalence has been established on the
construct level by the culture-specific measurement. The ritual exists in
every country examined in the study, but it cannot be measured using
the same instrument. In general, this procedure will also be possible if
one or more national instruments already exist and the instruments for
the other countries have to be developed seperately (van de Vijver and
Leung 1996, 271).
As measurement differs from culture to culture, the integration of the
national results can be very difficult. Strictly speaking, this disadvan-
tage of emic studies results in the interpretation of a structure-oriented
outcome with a thorny validation process. Measurements with different
indicators on different scales do lead to data on equivalent constructs.

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