Psychology - Research Methods - Reliability and Validity

Question 1

What is reliability?

Answer 1

Consistency of measurement. When the same research is replicated in the future and produces the same results. This shows that the research and the findings gained are consistent and the research can be viewed as good quality and trustworthy.

Question 2

Internal reliability

Answer 2

Whether the measuring instruments used in research can give the same results on different occasions. The measuring instrument used must be consistent.

Question 3

Intra-researcher reliability

Answer 3

The consistency of the individual researchers behaviour during the research. If the researcher behaves consistently during research. Measuring the extent to which the researcher gains similar results when measuring the same behaviour on more than one occasion.

Question 4

Test-retest

Answer 4

The same test is given to the same participants on two different occasions to see if the same results can be gained. The scores from both tests are then correlated to see if they are similar.

Question 5

What positive correlation coefficient needs to be reached in test retest for it to be reliable?

Answer 5

0.8 or higher

Question 6

Which two methods can be used to assess the reliability of observations?

Answer 6

Test retest or Pilot studies

Question 7

How can you assess the reliability of observations through Test retest?

Answer 7

Repeat the observation a second time using the same participants and compare results from first and second observation. Should produce a correlation coefficient of +0.8

Question 8

How can you assess the reliability of observations through Pilot studies?

Answer 8

Conduct a small trial run of observation before main research study so it can ensure that procedures and resources used in research can improve precision when measuring behaviour. Minimises human error and operationalise categories.

Question 9

How can you improve the reliability of Observations?

Answer 9

Inter observer reliability and training researchers

Question 10

How can inter-observer reliability be used to improve reliability of observations?

Answer 10

can be improved based on the extent to which observers agree and ensuring behavioural categories have been operationalised properly so each observer understands.

Question 11

How can training be used to improve reliability of observations?

Answer 11

Training researchers more so they are clear on the categories and can respond faster.

Question 12

How can you assess the reliability of Self-reports?

Answer 12

Test retest

Question 13

How can test-retest be used to assess the reliability of self reports?

Answer 13

Give a self report to a group of pps and collect results and after a short interval of time give the same participants the same self report to complete a second time and compare results. Should produce correlation coefficient of +0.8 or more.

Question 14

How can you improve the reliability of self reports?

Answer 14

Adjusting the questions used in the interview and inter researcher reliability

Question 15

How can the questions used in self reports be adjusted to improve reliability?

Answer 15

Must make sure the interview questions are not ambiguous so participants can understand them

Question 16

How can inter-researcher reliability be used in self reports to improve reliability?

Answer 16

Make sure the self report is not biased. If conducting an interview use more than one psychologist to record answers separately and should be conducted in the exact same way. should produce a correlation coefficient of +0.8 or more.

Question 17

How can the reliability of experiments be assessed?

Answer 17

Test retest

Question 18

How can test retest be used to assess the reliability of experiments?

Answer 18

Conduct the experiment once and collect results and repeat a few weeks later with same participants in the same way. Compare results and a correlation coefficient of +0.8 should be gained.

Question 19

How can the reliability of experiments be improved?

Answer 19

Standardisation of instructions

Question 20

How can the standardisation of instructions improve the reliability of experiments?

Answer 20

The procedures should be exactly the same for each participant, ensuring that reliable results are gained. Standardised instructions should be used and key concepts and variables should be operationalised.

Question 21

Internal Validity

Answer 21

The extent to which a test/study is investigating the true effect of the IV on the DV.

Question 22

What can internal validity be affected by

Answer 22

Investigator effects, demand characteristics, confounding variables, social desirability bias, lack of operationalisation

Question 23

Investigator effects

Answer 23

Any effect of the investigators behaviour on the research outcome

Question 24

Demand characteristics

Answer 24

those aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think someone else wants or expects

Question 25

Confounding variable

Answer 25

a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment

Question 26

Social desirability bias

Answer 26

A tendency to give socially approved answers to questions about oneself in order to be liked more rather than being honest

Question 27

Lack of operationalisation

Answer 27

When the key term isn’t defined in a way that is easy to measure or test

Question 28

Concurrent validity

Answer 28

the degree to which the measures gathered from one tool agree with the measures gathered from other assessment techniques

Question 29

Face validity

Answer 29

Measures whether a test looks like it tests what it is supposed to test.

Question 30

External validity

Answer 30

the extent to which the results of a study can be generalised to other situations

Question 31

What are the types of external validity?

Answer 31

ecological, population, temporal

Question 32

Ecological validity

Answer 32

The extent to which a study is realistic or representative of real life.

Question 33

Temporal validity

Answer 33

The extent to which findings from a research study can be generalised to other historical times and eras.

Question 34

How can external validity be assessed?

Answer 34

Meta-analysis, whereby comparison of findings can be compared