This course focuses on measurement, the key component of research. Topics include types of measurement; units of measurement; theory and measurement; reliability and validity; survey development; how and where to find "good" measures of health behaviors; quantitative and qualitative approaches; and cultural considerations in measurement. The course relies upon the socioecological framework, acknowledging that health behaviors (as well as their determinants, consequences, and correlates) can and should be measured at all levels of society (e.g., individual, relational, community, and societal). The goal of the course is to train the student in how to measure health behaviors both responsibly and effectively.

This course focuses on measurement, the key component of research. Topics include types of measurement; units of measurement; theory and measurement; reliability and validity; survey development; how and where to find "good" measures of health behaviors; quantitative and qualitative approaches; and cultural considerations in measurement. The course relies upon the socioecological framework, acknowledging that health behaviors (as well as their determinants, consequences, and correlates) can and should be measured at all levels of society (e.g., individual, relational, community, and societal). The goal of the course is to train the student in how to measure health behaviors both responsibly and effectively.