Reliability and Validity Flashcards
What does reliability relate to?
Consistency
What does validity relate to?
accuracy
What are the main types of reliability?
Internal
External
What is internal reliability?
Relates to the extent to which the procedure is standardised and replicable
What is external reliability?
Relates to the extent to which the sample is large enough to establish a consistent effect.
What does standardised mean?
When a procedure has implemented many controls that means it is the same for every participant
What does a study being replicable relate to?
When the procedure can be repeated exactly the same again and again
What is split-half reliability?
When you compare items within a test to see if they are giving the same findings.
(e.g splitting a questionnaire in half and comparing results of even numbered questions with those of odd numbered questions)
What is inter-rater reliability?
When you check one observer’s findings against those of another observer to see if they are consistent with each other.
What is test-retest reliability?
When you repeat they study with the same/very similar participants to see if the same results are obtained the second time.
What are the main types of validity?
Construct (internal)
Ecological (external)
Population (external)
What is construct validity?
(internal)
Whether the test has been shown to measure what is supposed to be measuring
i.e. the desired construct
What is ecological validity?
(external)
Whether the study represents a real life situation
What is population validity?
(external)
Whether the sample used can be generalised to the wider population
What can reduce construct validity?
Lack of controls
Extraneous variables
Demand characteristics
Participant variables
Social desirability bias
Environmental variables
Order effects
Obtaining subjective (qualitative) data
And many more!
What can increase ecological validity?
Conducting the research in a real life (field) setting
Having participants complete a task that is part of their normal life
If an interview, having an informal, unstructured conversation rather than set questions
What is face validity?
(internal)
Whether, on the face of it, the test looks like it is measuring what is supposed to measure
(this is a more basic version of construct validity)
What is criterion validity?
(internal)
Whether the test can predict results on other (similar) tests in the future
What is concurrent validity?
(internal)
Whether results on one test concur (agree) with the results on another test
What is the key difference between external reliability and population validity?
External reliability relates to how many participants there are in the study
Population validity relates to who are the participants in the study
What is the key difference between internal reliability and construct validity?
Internal reliability controls enable the procedure to be more standardised and replicable
Construct validity controls reduce the influence of extraneous variables that may make the results inaccurate
