Reliability

Question 1

What is the definition of reliability?

Answer 1

How consistent a measuring device is, including psychological tests or observations which assess behaviour.

Question 2

What is test-retest reliability? (a way to assess reliability)

Answer 2

Where participants take the same test on two seperate occasions. A high correlation shows trhe test has good external reliability.
Can use questionnaires.

Question 3

What is inter-observer reliability?

Answer 3

The extent to which there is agreement between 2 or more independent observers involved in observing behaviour.
Used in observations.

Question 4

What is inter-rater reliability?

Answer 4

Measured during content analysis.
A technique that indirectly studies behaviour by examining communications that people produce.

Question 5

What is inter-interviewer reliability?

Answer 5

Measured during interviews if these are conducted by different people.

Question 6

How do we know if data has high inter-observer reliability?

Answer 6

The correlation co-efficient should exceed +0.80.

Question 7

How can we improve reliability in questionnaires?

Answer 7

• Use the test-retest method.
• Deselect or rewrite questions if the questionnaire produces low test-retest reliability.
• Replace some open questions with closed ones.

Question 8

How can we improve reliability for interviews?

Answer 8

• Use the same interviewer each time.
• Ensure no questions are too leading or ambiguous.
• Use a structured interview.

Question 9

How can we improve reliability in observations?

Answer 9

• Operationalise behavioural categories.
• Make sure behavioural categories are measurable, evident and don’t overlap.

Question 10

How can we improve reliability for experiments?

Answer 10

• Ensure the procedures are the same.
• Use a standardised procedure.