Validity And Reiablity

Question 1

What is the definition of reliability?

Answer 1

Measure of consistency.
If the study is repeated it will produce the same results.

Question 2

What are the ways of assessing reliability?

Answer 2

1. Test-retest
2. Inter-observer reliability

Question 3

What is Test-retest?

Answer 3

• Giving the same test/ questionnaire to the same person on different occasions.

Question 4

What must there be between test-retests?

Answer 4

Time so that answers aren’t recalled.

Question 5

What happens to the scores of test-retest?

Answer 5

Sets of scores are correlated - if the correlations is significant and positive then reliability is assumed to be good.

Question 6

What should happen during inter-observer reliability?

Answer 6

• Should conduct observers with more than one researcher.
• Behavioural categories should be applied the same way.
• Can be correlated.
• Both researchers should observe behaviour the same way.

Question 7

How can we improve the reliability of questionnaires?

Answer 7

• Test-retest.
• Comparing sets of data should produce a correlation that exceeds +80.
• Some questions may have to be re-written if they have low test-retest reliability.
• Some questions may be hard to interpret.

Question 8

How do we improve the reliability of interviews?

Answer 8

• The same interviewer each time.
• Questions aren’t too leading or ambitious.

Question 9

How do we improve the reliability of observations?

Answer 9

• Behavioural categories should be properly operationalised.
• Categories should be less open to interpretation and not overlap.

Question 10

Improving experiments reliability.

Answer 10

• Lab experiments have the highest control and show precise replication rather than reliability of a finding.

Question 11

What does validity mean?

Answer 11

Whether a test produces a result that’s legitimate.

Question 12

What is internal validity?

Answer 12

Whether effects in an experiment are due to manipulation of IV or another factor.

Question 13

What is external validity?

Answer 13

Factors outside investigation and whether the results can be applied to the population/ settings.

Question 14

Ecological validity

Answer 14

Generalising findings from one setting to another - usually real life

Question 15

What is temporal validity?

Answer 15

Whether finds hold true over time

Question 16

How do we assess validity?

Answer 16

Face validity
Concurrent validity

Question 17

Face validity

Answer 17

• Whther a test appears valid on the face.
• Whether it appears to measure what it claims to measure

Question 18

Concurrent validity

Answer 18

• When results are close to or the same as another recognised and well-established test.
• Close agreement
• Correlation exceeding +80

Question 19

How do you improve validity of experiments?

Answer 19

• Using a control group.
• Assess whether changes in DV are due to manipulation of IV.
• Standardised procedures.
• Minimised participant reactivity and investigator effects.
• Using single-blind and double-blind procedures.

Question 20

How do we improve validity of questionnaires?

Answer 20

• Incorporate a lie scale.
• Assess he consistency of response and controls social desirability bias.
• Ensure data is anonymous

Question 21

How Dow e improve the validity of observations?

Answer 21

• Covert observations produce data with high ecological validity.

Question 22

How do you improve the validity of qualitative methods?

Answer 22

• Higher ecological validity.
• Improved with triangulation - using a number of sources.