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psychology > validity and reliability > Flashcards

validity and reliability Flashcards

1
Q

validity definition

A

the extent to which a study/test/measuring instrument measures what it intends to measure

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2
Q

internal validity definition

A

whether the effects observed in a study are due to the manipulation of the independent variable or any other factor

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3
Q

external validity definition

A

how well you can generalise the results from research participants to people,places,times outside of the study

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4
Q

population validity

A
  • type of external validity
  • the extent to which we can apply the findings of the study to different types of people
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5
Q

temporal validity

A

-type of external validity
- the extent to which we can apply the findings of the study to different type periods/eras

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6
Q

ecological validity

A
  • type of external validity
  • the extent to which we can apply the findings of the study to other settings/situations
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7
Q

cultural validity

A
  • type of external validity
  • the extent to which we can apply the findings to other cultures
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8
Q

how to determine whether a study is ecologically valid

A
  • participants’ awareness of the experimenter (investigator effects)
  • mundane realism of the environment
  • mundane realism of the task
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9
Q

what is face validity

A

whether a test, scale or measure appears to measure what it is supposed to measure ‘on the face of it’. This is done by eyeballing the measuring instrument or getting an expert to check

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10
Q

what is concurrent validity

A

demonstrated when the results obtained are very close to those obtained on another recognised and well-established test measuring the same concept

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11
Q

how to improve validity in experimental research

A
  • use a control group (researcher can assess whether change in the DV was due to the IV or not)
  • standardise procedures (minimise investigator effects)
  • use single blind or double blind procedures (minimise investigator effects and demand characteristics)
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12
Q

how to improve validity of questionnaires

A
  • include a likert scale (assess the consistency of a participant’s response, controls social desirability bias)
  • assure participants their results are anonymous (minimises social desirability bias)
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13
Q

how to improve the validity of observations

A
  • use covert, non-participant observations (minimal intervention by researcher leads to high ecological validity)
  • use specific, non-overlapping unambiguous behavioural categories
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14
Q

how to improve the validity of qualitative methods

A
  • make sure the researcher’s report is coherent and matches the participant’s intentions (include direct quotes in a report)
  • triangulation
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15
Q

what is reliability

A

how consistent the findings from an investigation or measuring device are. A measuring device is reliable if it produces consistent results.

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16
Q

what is external reliability

A

the extent to which results from a research method can be replicated over time or with different participants

17
Q

how to test reliability

A
  • test re-test reliability
  • inter-observer reliability
18
Q

test re-test reliability

A
  • assesses reliability of questionnaires, psychological tests, interviews
  • administering the same test to the same person on different occasions
  • enough time between tests to ensure that participants cannot recall their answers
  • the results obtained should be the same each time they are administered, if it is reliable
  • 2 sets of scores are correlated with the appropriate statistical test (+0.8+ reliable)
19
Q

inter-observer reliability

A
  • assesses reliability of observations
  • observations are conducted in teams of 2+
  • observers discuss and agree on their interpretation of the behavioural categories
  • they watch the same event but record the data independently, using the same categories
  • data collected is correlated using the appropriate statistical test (+0.8+ reliable)
20
Q

how to improve the reliability of questionnaires

A
  • if test-retest reliability is low, some items are deselected or rewritten
  • open, ambiguous questions replaced with closed, fixed choice, less ambiguous questions
21
Q

how to improve the reliability of interviews

A
  • use the same interviewer each time
  • interviewers properly trained using structured interviews
22
Q

how to improve the reliability of observations

A
  • behavioural categories operationalised
  • categories should not overlap
  • train observers in the use of observational checklists and behavioural categories (using time/event sampling)

psychology (15 decks)

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