Reliability Flashcards
What does reliability refer to?
whether something is consistent
What should researchers be able to do?
replicate a method time and time again and get the same or similar results.
Why is reliability important in research?
because we can be more confident of the conclusions.
What are the two ways to assess/check reliability?
-Test-retest method
-Inter-Observer Reliability
What is the test retest method?
where the same participants take the same test twice, at different occasions
-If the results from the two occasions highly correlate (with a correlation coefficient of at least +0.8), the test is said to be reliable.
when is the test retest method used most commonly?
questionnaires and psychological tests (e.g. IQ tests).
Why must there be sufficient time between test and retest?
to ensure the participant cannot recall their answers but not so long where the participant has significantly changed.
What is inter-observer reliability used to do?
assess the reliability of observations.
What happens in inter-observer reliability?
observers watch the same events, but record their behaviour independently. If the results from the different observers highly correlate (with a correlation co-efficient of at least +0.8), the observation team is recording behaviours reliability.
