Reliability Flashcards
What is reliability?
How consistent the finding from an investigation or measuring device are
When is a measuring device reliable?
Produces consistent results every time it is used
What is test-retest reliability?
Method of assessing reliability of questionnaire or psychological test by testing same person on two separate occasions
What does a test-retest reliability show?
The extent the test produces the same answer
What is inter-observer reliability?
The extent of which two or more observers agree on an observation of behaviour
How is inter-observer reliability measured?
Correlating the observations of two or more observers
How do you calculate inter-observer reliability?
(Total number of agreements)/(total number of observation)
What does the calculated inter-observer reliability have to be greater than in order to have a high inter-observer reliability?
0.8
How do you improve the reliability of questionnaires?
- Test-retest
- Should produce a correlation that exceeds +0.8
What happens if test-retest is low in questionnaires?
Some items may need to be deselected or rewritten
How do you improve the reliability of interviews?
- Same interviewer
- If not all should be trained the same
What can reduce interviewer bias?
Structured interviews as behaviours are more controlled by fixed questions
How do you improve the reliability of experiments?
- Lab experiments = reliable as strict control over many aspects
- High reliability in method rather than findings
How do you improve the reliability of observations?
-Making sure to have operationalised behavioural categories (measurable and self-evident)
Should categories overlap or not?
They shouldn’t
