Indicators of Trustworthy Measurement Flashcards
What are the indicators of trustworthy measurement?
Validity, Accuracy, Reliability
A measurement has validity when…
it yields data directly relevant
to the phenomenon measured and to the reason(s) for measuring
it
Why does a direct measure possess more validity than an indirect measure?
A direct measure of the actual behavior of interest will always possess more validity than an
indirect measure, because a direct measure does not require an
inference about its relation to the behavior of interest, whereas
an indirect measure always requires such an inference.
What three elements equally important measures does valid validity require?
- measuring directly a
socially significant target behavior 2. measuring a dimension (e.g., rate, duration) of the target behavior relevant to the question or concern about the behavior (see
Chapter 4), and (c) 3. ensuring that the data are representative of the behavior’s occurrence under conditions and during times that
are most relevant to the question or concern about the behavior
What happens if any three elements are suspect or lacking?
The validity of the resultant data is compromised, perhaps to the point of being meaninglessness.
What is accuracy?
Accuracy refers to
the extent to which the observed value match the true value
of the event.
What is an observed value?
The quantitative
labels produced by measuring an event)
What is a true value?
must have the effect of minimizing the possibility
of error to an uncommon degree
What is measurement bias?
nonrandom measurement error -that an error in measurement that is likely to be in one direction
What is reliability?
the extent to which repeated measurement of the same event event yields the same value.
What should behavioral measurements do?
provide legitimate data for evaluating behavior change and guiding research and treatment
decisions.
Data of the highest quality…
are produced by valid, accurate, and reliable
measurement
Why should researchers be concerned with reliability ?
Poor reliability reveals problems with accuracy.
