RESEARCH METHODS - reliability

Question 1

its a measure of

Answer 1

consistency

Question 2

how do we measure reliability in psychology

Answer 2

if a test or measurement in psychology assessed x on a certain day

then we would expect the same result on a different day

unless thing itself had changed

Question 3

how can we asses reliability

Answer 3

test retest

interobserver reliabiliity

Question 4

what is a test retest

Answer 4

administering same test or questionnaire to same person or people on different occasions

Question 5

in a test retest if the test or questionnaire is reliable results obtained should be

Answer 5

same or very similar each time theyre administered

Question 6

test retest commonly used for

but can be applied to

Answer 6

quesytionnaires and psychological tests - such as IQ

interviews

Question 7

in a test retest theri must be sufficient time between the test and retest why

Answer 7

ensure particpant/respondents cant recall their answers to questions to a survey

Question 8

their must be sufficient time between a test retest but not too long why

Answer 8

as attitudes/opinions/abilities may have changed

Question 9

in case of questionnaires/ test

what would happen to two sets of scores in test retest reliability - x to make sure x

and then if correlation turns out to be x and x

then the reliability of x x assumed to be x

Answer 9

correlated to make sure thier similar

if coorelation turns out to be significant and positive(+0.8 or greater )

then the reliability of the measuring instrument is assumed to be good

Question 10

when is reliabliity assumed to be good

Answer 10

correlation is at least +0.8

Question 11

how do we remeber correlation has to be +0.8

Answer 11

relaibility aint great unless its +.8

Question 12

inter observer reliabiltiy - everyone has their own way of seeing

Answer 12

the world

Question 13

explain why everyone seeing the world in their own way an issue in observational research

Answer 13

one obsververs interpreation of event may differ widely from someone else’s - this intriduced subjectivity bias and unreliabilty into the data collection process

Question 14

how do we get over observational research issue of subjectivity bias

Answer 14

observers should conduct their research in teams of two (minimum)

watch same event and record their obsv independently

results should then be correlated @ end to assess for reliability

Question 15

how can we estbalish intro observer reliability

2 ways

Answer 15

• pilot study of the observation in order to check behavioural categories being applied in same way by observers
• reporting a comparison at the end of sthe study

Question 16

as with test retest method , data collected by two osbervers should be what to do what

Answer 16

correlated to assess its relaiability

Question 17

in content analysis how would introobserver rewliabilty be refferd to

Answer 17

inter rater relaiblity

Question 18

in interviews how would introobserver relaibiltiy be referred to

Answer 18

inter interviewer reliability

Question 19

in interobserver reliabilty if at the end both observes come out and they dont find got strong +ve correlation in terms of what theyve observed maybe theyve done soemthign imporoperoly give an exmaple

Answer 19

behavioural categories not operationalised properly e.g too vague therfore researchers misinterpreting what tgetve seen

Question 20

how do we measure reliability

Answer 20

correlational analysis

Question 21

in terms of measuring reliabiliry in a test retest and inter observer relaiblity the two sets of scores are

Answer 21

correlated

Question 22

the correlaito coffiecicne thsould exceed what for reliability

Answer 22

+.80

Question 23

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - If a questionanire produces a low test relaiability it may require some questinos to be

Answer 23

deselcted
rewritten

Question 24

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - in a questionnire if some questions too copmlex or ambiguis they may be interpeted

Answer 24

differntly by same person on differnet occasios

Question 25

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - how do we reduce ambigiouty and coplexity inn questionanires

Answer 25

replace some open questions wher emay be room for misinerpeearion with closed , fixed choice alt

which may be less ambigious

Question 26

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - interviews , wahts the best way of improving reliablity

Answer 26

use same interviewer each time

Question 27

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - if cant use same intervewre each time as not possible or practical what cna we do

Answer 27

properly train all interviewres

prevent sone from asking leading or ambiguous questions questions

Question 28

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - how can we easily avoid researchers asking leading or ambigious questions

Answer 28

using structured interviews

Question 29

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - how can using structured interviews improve reliability

Answer 29

interviewres behaviour is mroe contorlled by fixed questions

whereas unstructured interviews ar emore free flowing and less likely to be reliable - as more likely ot ask leading or ambigous quetions

Question 30

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - how can we imporved reliabilty of observatinos

Answer 30

making sure behaviorual categories are properly operatinoalised

theyre measurbale and self evident

Question 31

give example of self evident (obvious)

Answer 31

pushing is much less open to interpreatation than aggressionn

Question 32

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - behaviorual categories such not and should include

Answer 32

overlap

shoudl include all possible behaviours on the checklist

e,g hugging and ucddling

Question 33

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - behaviorual categories should not overlap and should include

Answer 33

overlap

all possible behaviours shoudl be covered on the checklist

e,g hugging and ucddling

Question 34

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - what ahppens if categories arent operationalised well , overlappig or absnet

Answer 34

diff observers got to make own judgement on what to record where

and may end up with differing and inconsistent records which reduces reliability

Question 35

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - if reliablity is lo within observations what may researcehrs need and wish to do

Answer 35

may need further training in using behaviorual categories

may wish to discuss descision with eahc otehr so can apply categories more consistently

Question 36

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - explain how we can improve it in terms of type of experiment

Answer 36

use lab studies

researchers got high level of control over procedures and instructions given which increases standardisation

Question 37

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - in experiemtns what is the focus of relaibility

Answer 37

procedures

Question 38

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - in epxeriments to coapmre performane of differnt particpants ( as well as results from differnt stydies procedure must be

Answer 38

the same /consistent everytime

Question 39

IMPROVING RELIABILTY - in experietns in terms of reliablity experimenter is concerned about

Answer 39

stadardised procedures

Question 40

why ar elab experiemtns more reliable than fiield experimetns

Answer 40

researcehrs can exert strict controls over many aspects of teh procedure

Question 41

reliabiliy in experiemtns can be imporved by standardisation of procedures why

Answer 41

experimetn can be replicated and get consisten results

Question 42

intro observer reliabilty helps overcome the issue of

Answer 42

researcher bias