Validity & Reliability

Question 1

What are the 6 types of validity?

Answer 1

1) Internal validity
2) Population Validity
3) Ecological Validity
4) Temporal Validity
5) Concurrent Validity
6) Face Validity

Question 2

Internal Validity

Answer 2

*How well a study meets its aims *(measures what its supposed to measure)
Ways to improve:
* Operationalise variables & do pilot study
* Tighter controls on extraneous variables + use standardised procedures

Question 3

Ecological Validity

Answer 3

How *well a study represents everyday life *
Ways to improve:
* Carry out field + natural experiments
* Pilot study
* Use tasks that represent real life

Question 4

**Population Validity **

Answer 4

How *well a study represents the wider population *
Ways to improve:
* Use a large sample size and a variety of social groups

Question 5

**Temporal Validity **

Answer 5

The extent to which a **study can be applicable to other historical times **
Ways to improve:
* Operationalise variables
* Use standardised procedures
* Use more that 1 method to back up results

Question 6

Concurrent Validity

Answer 6

The **extent to which a psychological measure relates to an existing similar measure/ results ** (comparing a psychological study results to existing study results)
Ways to improve:
* Use standardised procedures and operationalise variables
* Control extraneous variables

Question 7

**Face Validity **

Answer 7

Does a test** look like what its supposed to measure?**
Ways to improve:
* Use a double blind techniques
* Do a pilot study

Question 8

What are the 3 types of reliabilty?

Answer 8

1. Internal reliablity
2. External reliablity
3. Interobserver reliabilty

Question 9

Internal Reliabilty

Answer 9

Measure of** consistency of results across items on the same test/same questionnaires ** (how well a study can be repeated and reproduce similar results)
Ways to improve:
Split half method- Comparing a persons performance on 2 halves of a questionnaire /test. If reliable there should be a close relation in the scores derived from both halves.

Question 10

External Validity

Answer 10

Measure of **consistency over several different occassions **
Ways to improve:
* Test and retest method- Participants are given a test on one occassion and this is repeated again after a reasonable period of time. If results are the same/similar then the test has high reliability

Question 11

Interobserver reliablity

Answer 11

Measure of* how much agreement there is between 2 or more observers* in a study
Ways to improve:
* 2 or more observers observe the same evenr independently and compare their notes.** if there is an agreement of more than 80% between their notes, there is high interobserver reliabilty **
* **Pilot study **and check that obsevers are using the same behaviour categories in the same way