Reliabilty Flashcards
What is reliability
Reliability is consistency, it is whether everything is done consistently within the study and whether the measuring tool is consistent over time
What is internal reliability
Internal reliability is the extent to which a test or measure is consistent within itself
eg. standardised instructions for all participants
What is external reliability
The extent to which a test produces consistent results over several occasions
What are the common issues of reliability
- operationalisation of variables
- order/practice effects (mainly repeated measures design)
- lack of standardisation of variables
- accuracy of the measuring tool
How can you deal with reliability issues
Counterbalancing - splitting the sample in half. One group sits condition A and then B, the other group sit condition B and then A
Standardisation - a standard set of instructions is given, the same environment is used and as many other aspects of the study as possible
What are the different ways of checking reliability
- split-half
- test-retest
- inter-rater
What is split-half testing (internal reliability)
A participants answers are split into two groups and compared against each other to see if the score is similar, if scores are high internal reliability is high
What is test-retest (external reliability)
Some participants repeat the test to see if they get the same score, assess the reliability of the measuring tool
What is inter-rater reliability (internal reliability)
Two or more researchers score participants using the same coding system and answers are comparing to ensure they have the same data
