L3 - Reliability

Question 1

What is reliability?

Answer 1

• Consistency of a research study or measuring test

Question 2

What is internal reliability?

Answer 2

The extent to which a measure is consistent within itself

Question 3

How do you assess internal reliability?

Answer 3

• Split Half Method
• Measures the extent to which all parts of the test contribute equally to what is being measured. This is done by comparing one half of a test with the other (e.g all even and all odd)

Question 4

What is External Reliability?

Answer 4

• The extent to which a measure varies from one use to another

Question 5

State the ways of assessing external reliability ?

Answer 5

• Test-Retest
• Inter-rater reliability
• Intra-rater reliability

Question 6

What is Test-Retest

Answer 6

(-) Giving Ppts the same test on two separate occasions
(-) If similar results are obtained then external reliability is established

(-) E.g with a questionnaire, the questionnaire should be completed more than once, their results should be correlated and the strength of the correlation should be assessed using Spearman’s Rho or Pearson’s R Test. If there is a strong correlations (above 0.8), it is reliable

Question 7

What is inter-rater reliability?

Answer 7

• Researchers observe the same behaviour independently and compare/correlate their data
• If data is similar (>0.8) then it has external reliability
• e.g: two observers at a location decide their behavioural categories and start to record, then everything is correlated etc.

Question 8

What is intra-rater reliability?

Answer 8

• When an observation is recorded so it can be watched multiple times