Reliability
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- Created by: Phoenix_
- Created on: 28-11-17 21:50
Definition
- Reliability:
- A measure of consistency
- Refers of how much we can depend on a given measurement
- (linked to replicability)
- External Reliability:
- The ability to produce the same results every time the test is carried out
- Internal Reliability:
- The consistency within a test
- e.g. Attitude tests / psychometric tests such as personality tests, or observing specific behaviour in observation (2 observers may class same behaviour differently)
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Experiment - Improving Reliability
- Standardisation:
- same procedures are repeated for different participants
- important that procedures are same each time otherwise we can't compare
- operationalise is essential
- Repeats:
- Better to take more thsn 1 measurment from each participant
- e.g. Reaction time study - catch ruler 3 times instead of 1
- Pilot Studies:
- are done to discover any problems with research design
- e.g. participants misunderstnading instructions or whether timings are adequate
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Observation - Improving Reliability
- Behavioural Categories:
- Observational categories need to be fully operationalised
- Pilot Studies:
- Are done to discover any problems with research design
- e.g. poorly defined behavioural categories or inadequate training
- Standardisation:
- When more than 1 investigator is used - method of collecting data should be standardised
- May require training -> clear criteria been established to look & record same info (filmimg behaviour & practising categorisation)
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Self-report - Improving Reliability
- Reduce Ambiguity :
- Low reliability due to test being ambiguous (questions)
- Solution -> Replace some open questions with closed questions to reduce ambiguity
- Pilot Studies:
- To discover any problems such as: leading questions in questionnaires/ interviews
- Standardisation:
- All participants should be subject to same enviornment, informations and questions
- Use same researcher i interviews (same approach to asking body language, tone etc.)
- [structured interviews are prefered as it is controlled by fixed questions]
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Experiment - Assessing Reliability
- Test-Retest Reliability:
- Results from same test/procedure repeated by same participants after a short interval (e.g. a week - so they dont remeber their answers) are compared by a researcher
- The researcher compares the degree of reliability using statistical tests (comparison of critical value and correlation coeffecient)
- If there is a strong positive correlation between the 2 sets of data then it is reliable
- Reliability of Observational Techniques:
- Observations are a form of measurement
- Reseacher will keep a record of events using behaviour categories
- Score for inter-rater reliability (if similiar score is low, improvement is needed)
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Observation - Assessing Reliability
- Inter-Observer Reliability : (a.k.a Inter-rater reliability)
- Definition: The extent to which the observers agree on the obversations they record
- 2 or more psychologists device a set of behavioural categories to code behaviour
- Each reseacher carry out obversation independently (tally each behaviour category when observed)
- At the end compare / correlate total with other observers
- Strength of correlation determined by appropriate statistical test
- Strong positive correlation shows it is reliable
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Self-Report - Assessing Reliability
- Test-Retest Reliablilty:
- Results from a repeated questionnaire/ interview by same participants after a short interval (e.g. a week - so they don't remeber their answers) are compared
- The researcher compares the degree of reliability using statistical tests (comparison of critical value and correlation coeffecient)
- If there is a strong positive correlation between the 2 sets of data then it is reliable
- Split-Half Method:
- Each participant's scores on 1 half of a test should be correlated with their scores on the other half of the test
- (usually a psychometric test e.g. IQ or Personality test)
- Strength of correlation determined by appropriate statistical test
- Correlation coeffecient and critical value compared a strong positive between the sets of scores means it is reliable
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