Reliability Flashcards
What is reliability?
The consistency of measurements. We would expect any measurement to produce the same data every time it is used.
What are the two ways of assessing reliability?
- Test-retest
- Inter-observer reliability, inter-interviewer (for interviews), inter-rater (for content analysis)
What is test-retest reliability?
The same assessment given to the same participants on two occasions to see if the same results are obtained. These results are correlated and if they have a correlation coefficient of .80 or more= high test-retest reliability
What is inter-observer reliability?
The extent to which there is agreement between two or more observers involved in observations of a behaviour. If the scores have a correlation coefficient of .80 or more= good inter-observer reliability.
For test-retest, how is a correlation carried out to assess the reliability of for example a questionnaire?
Each participant’s score from the first questionnaire should be correlated with their results from second questionnaire. Shown on a scattergraph- scores from the first test plotted on one axis and scores from second plotted on other. Strength of correlation assessed using either Spearman’s rho or Pearson’s r test.
How can researchers improve the reliability of an observation?
Ensure the behavioural categories are operationalised clearly – no overlapping and are measurable.
How can researchers improve the reliability of a questionnaire?
Ensure questions are not too complex- replace some of the open, ambiguous questions with closed, fixed choice alternatives.
How can researchers improve the reliability of an interview?
If possible use the same interviewer each time. If not then ensure interviewers are properly trained and use more structured interviews.
How can researchers improve the reliability of experiments?
Ensure procedures are standardised
