RM - Reliability Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Inter-observer reliability

A

The extent to which there is agreement between two or more observers involved in observations of a behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Reliability

A

Is consistency - The consistency of measurements. We would expect any measurement to produce the same data if taken on successive occasions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Test-retest reliability

A

The same test or interview is given to the same ppts on two occasions to see if the same results are obtained.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are observations a form of?

A

Measurement.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What happens in observations?

A

A researcher is recording (i.e. measuring) what people (or animals) are doing. The researcher will keep a record of events observed using a set of behavioural categories.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How do researchers record data in observations?

A

The researcher will keep a record of events observed using a set of behavioural categories.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are ways of ensuring reliability of results from observations?

A

Observer should repeat the observations a second time (e.g. by watching a video recording).

Have two or more observers making separate recording and then compare these records.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What would the results of the second observation be like if the observations are reliable?

A

Then the second set of observations should be more or less the same as the first set.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Why is the observer repeating the observations a second time (e.g. by watching a video recording) not always a good way to make sure data is reliable?

A

There is a problem as the observer may have been bias.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is a better way of testing reliability than an observer repeating observations for a second time?

A

Have two or more observers making separate recording and then compare these records.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the extent to which the observers agree on the observations they record called?

A

Inter-observer reliability.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What can inter-observer reliability be calculated as?

A

A correlation coefficient for pairs of scores. A result of 0.8 or more suggests good inter-observer reliability.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What correlation coefficient score shows that something has good inter-observer reliability?

A

0.8

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How can reliability/the score for inter-rater reliability be improved (in observational techniques)?

A
  • Make the behavioural categories clearer (as it may be that the behavioural categories were not operationalised clearly enough, so one observer interpreted an action as ‘hitting’ whereas another interpreted it as ‘touching’).
  • It may be that some observers just need more practice using the behavioural categories so they can respond more quickly.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are questionnaires and interviews an example of?

A

Self-report techniques.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are examples of self-report techniques?

A

Questionnaires and interviews.

17
Q

What are self-report techniques?

A

Research methods where the individual tells a researcher what they think or feel.

18
Q

What psychological tests are similar to self-report techniques?

A

IQ tests or personality tests.

19
Q

What is test-retest reliability used to assess?

A

The reliability of a psychological test or other self-report measure.

20
Q

What ways of assessing reliability of self-report techniques can be used?

A

Test-retest reliability.

Inter-interviewer reliability.

21
Q

How is test-retest reliability used to assess reliability of self-report techniques?

A

The test/questionnaire designer gives the test to a group of people and then gives the same group of people the same test a second time. Usually there is a short interval between the tests, such as a week or two, so that people don’t remember their answers. If the measure is reliable the outcome should be the same every time.

22
Q

How are the scores compared when assessing reliability of self-report techniques?

A

Using correlation.

23
Q

What is inter-interviewer reliability used to assess?

A

The reliability of one interviewer or the reliability (consistency) of two interviewers

24
Q

How is inter-interviewer reliability used to assess reliability of self-report techniques?

A

In the case of interviews, a researcher could assess the reliability of one interviewer by comparing answers on one occasion with answers from the same person with the same interviewer a week later.

Or, the researcher might want to assess the reliability (consistency) of two interviewers using the same method as with two observers.

25
Q

What way of improving reliability of self-report techniques can be used?

A

Reduce ambiguity.

26
Q

Why might there be low reliability in a psychological test?

A

Because some test items are ambiguous so people give different answers. For example, a question might be: What are your thoughts about dieting?’ Some people might interpret this as being a question asking for factual information, and provide facts about dieting, whereas others might think the question was about emotions and respond with their own feelings about their efforts at dieting.

27
Q

How is reducing ambiguity used to improve reliability of self-report techniques?

A

Some test items are ambiguous so people give different answers. In such cases test items (or questions on a questionnaire) need to be re-examined and rewritten.

28
Q

How is the dependent variable in an experiment often measured?

A

Using a rating scale or behavioural catergories.

29
Q

Give examples in research of how the dependent variable in an experiment is measured using a rating scale or behavioural categories.

A
  • Bandura et al. (1963) study on aggression using a Bobo doll. The dependent variable was the aggressive behaviour of the children, This was assessed by observing their behaviour in a room full of toys and using behavioural categories such as verbal imitation.
  • Rutter and Sonuga-Barke (2010) study on Romanian orphans used IQ scores as one of their dependent variables.
30
Q

What is reliability of experiments concerned with?

A

Whether the method used to measure the dependent variable is consistent, i.e. the observations or the self-report method. (The same is true of how co-variables in correlations are measured.)

31
Q

How can reliability of experiments be improved?

A

By standardisation.

32
Q

How can standardisation improve reliability of experiments?

A

It is important that the procedures are exactly the same each time (i.e. reliable) when repeated for different ppts because otherwise we can’t compare the performance of ppts. For this reason procedures are standardised.

If another researcher wishes to repeat the experiment, they also need to use exactly the same procedures.