rigor in research

Question 1

rigour

Answer 1

striving for excellence in research through the use of discipline, scrupulous adherence to detail and strict accuracy
- to transfer findings to other populations, study needs to have rigour

Question 2

internal validity

Answer 2

is the degree to which the experimental treatment (intervention) results in observable effects

Question 3

external validity

Answer 3

concerns the ability of the study to be generalized to additional populations and environmental conditions

Question 4

reliability

Answer 4

the extent to which the instrument yields the same results on repeated measures
reliability should have consistency, accuracy and precision

Question 5

consistency

Answer 5

produce the same results if the behaviour is measured again by the same scale

Question 6

accuracy

Answer 6

state of being correct, measuring the concept or variable being investigated

Question 7

precision

Answer 7

quality in measurement that is refined, careful and true

Question 8

stability

Answer 8

when the repeated administration of the instrument gives the same results

Question 9

homogeneity

Answer 9

the items in the instrument measure the same concept, variable or characteristic

Question 10

equivalence

Answer 10

if the instrument produces the same results when compared to a parallel or equivalent instrument or procedure

Question 11

reliability coefficients

Answer 11

a measure of the accuracy of a test or measuring instrument obtained by measuring the same individuals twice and computing the correlation of the two sets of measures

Question 12

correlation coefficient

Answer 12

is a strategical relationship between two variables
1.0 (perfect positive relationship) to 0 (no relationship)

Question 13

test-retest reliability

Answer 13

is the stability of the scores of the instrument when it is administered more than once to the same participants under similar conditions
correlation coefficient is often a Pearsons R
ranges from -1 to +1

Question 14

cronbach alpha

Answer 14

is a measure of internal consistency
- how closely the related set of items are as a group
- a measure of scale reliability
- performed using statistical equations

Question 15

equivalence

Answer 15

the consistency or agreement among observers who use the same measurement tool or agreements between alternative forms of the tool

Question 16

inner rater reliability

Answer 16

is used on instruments that involve direct measurements of recorded behaviour that must be systematically recorded
- two or more researchers will make observations about a participants behaviour and recorded the results independently
- the results are then shared and compared to determine consistency
- should be done before study to ensure reliability

Question 17

validity

Answer 17

refers to an instrument’s ability to accurately measure what it is intended to measure
3 kinds
- content validity
- criterion-related
- construct

Question 18

content validity

Answer 18

is the degree to which the content being measured represents the whole of the construct
- concepts and variables need to be operationally and conceptually defined at the beginning of the study

Question 19

criterion-related validity

Answer 19

is the degree of the relationship between the participants performance on the tool and the participants actual behaviour
- tool is measuring what it is supposed to

Question 20

construct validity

Answer 20

examines the fit between conceptual and operational definitions of variables and determines whether or not the instrument actually measures the theoretical construct it purports to measures
constructs - concepts at a high level of abstraction ex: ageism
- expert researchers and statisticians will evaluate and determine construct validity