Validity and Reliability

Question 1

define reliability

Answer 1

the consistency of the findings or results of a psychology research study

Question 2

what is test-retest reliability?

Answer 2

the degree to which test scores remain unchanged when measuring a stable individual characteristic on different occasions → consistent across time

Question 3

what is internal consistency?

Answer 3

the degree of interrelationship or homogeneity among the items on a test, such that they are consistent with one another and measuring the same thing → consistent across items

Question 4

what is interrater reliability?

Answer 4

measures the degree of agreement between different people observing or assessing the same thing → consistent across researchers

Question 5

what is construct validity?

Answer 5

the extent to which your test or measure accurately assesses what it’s supposed to

Question 6

what is content validity?

Answer 6

the degree to which an assessment instrument is relevant to, and representative of, the targeted construct it is designed to measure

Question 7

what is an important feature of experiments?

Answer 7

• the causal relationship between variables
• only an experiment if something is manipulated (otherwise can still be a study, but may not be an experiment)

Question 8

what is internal validity?

Answer 8

the extent to which you can be confident that a cause-and-effect relationship established in a study cannot be explained by other factors

Question 9

what are some examples of factors that can lead to a decrease in internal validity?

Answer 9

• participant selection
• participant motivation (fatigue, time of day)
• Maturation (development, aging)
• experimenter training
• experiment decay/use
• lack if random assignment

Question 10

what is external validity?

Answer 10

whether the findings of a study can be generalized to patients with characteristics that are different from those in the study, or patients who are treated in a different way, or patients who are followed up for longer durations

Question 11

what are the 3 types of external validity?

Answer 11

Population validity →Experimental sample to defined population

Ecological validity
→Experimental setting to real world/other settings

Multiple-treatment →interference
Sequence/carry-over effects

Question 12

what is a WEIRD sample?

Answer 12

Western
Educated
Industrialised
Rich
Democratic

Question 13

what is a STRANGE sample

Answer 13

• Social background
• Trappability and self
• selection
• Rearing history
• Acclimation and habituation
• Natural changes in responsiveness
• Genetic make-up
• Experience