Reliability and Validity

How would you define reliability?

• The consistency of data

• The accuracy of data

• The levels of data

• The validity of data

Organize these options into the right categories. You must get the correct definitions and what studies lack this type of validity, and what studies have high levels of this type of validity.

Groups:

(a) Internal Validity

,

(b) Temporal Validity

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(c) Population Validity

,

(d) Ecological Validity

• When it measures what is intended. Know the IV is the cause.

• Moscovici used all female ppts- this is an example of beta bias and reduces __ validity

• Lab studies like Asch, should have a high level of this type of validity

• Baddeley and Godden artificial task of reading word lists under the sea and on land

• Asch and Zimbardo only used while, male ppts. This is androcentric and alpha bias,

• Studies should be valid despite progressions with time

• Freud generally lacks this validity due to androcentric views

• Bowlbys, Milgrams and Ainsworth study have been replicated today and still apply

• Van IJzendoorn and Kroonenberg did a meta-analysis looking at 32 studies across 8 countries

• Asch's results can be said to be due to America being very conformist in the 1950s

• Demand characteristics reduce this type of validity, like in Zimbardos study

• The extent to which the sample can be generalised to similar and wider populations

• Observes natural infant-caregiver behaviours in a structured but realistic setting- Ainsworth

• Do the results and conclusions apply to everyday life?

One way to assess reliability is by _. This involves re-administering the same test/questionnaire to the same people, under the same conditions, but on separate occasions.

Different researchers may interpret the same situation in a different way to another researcher, and this is called subjectivity bias. _____ must be established to ensure that more than one researcher interprets a situation in the same way. Behaviour categorises can be assignments, and a pilot study can take place to help test this.

• Inter-rater reliability

• Content Analysis

• Interviews

• +.80 correlation co-efficient

You can improve reliability of experiments by

• Standardising procedures

• Establishing cause and effect

• Changing the temperature to help suit the ppts

• Train the ppts to be more reliable

​ Observations can be improved by ​ (a)   behaviour categories. This means to make variable more​ (b)   . These categories should not overlap (e.g., hugging and cuddling).

• Operationalising
• measurable
• reliable 
• accurate 

Match the definitions for ways of assessing validity.

Groups:

(a) Face validity

,

(b) Concurrent Validity

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(c) Predictive Validity

• E.g., Asking the same sample of employees to fill in both an existing survey, and your new one

• E.g., Using your GCSE grades to get into college

• This refers to the ability of a test or other measurement to predict a future outcome

• It compares two assessments - one that has already been tested, and one that needs to be valid

• Measure of whether it look subjectively promising that a tool measure what it's supposed too

• E.g., observing high IQ scores, score higher in exams

You can improve the validity of experiments by...

• Using a control group to see if IV does influence the DV

• Standardising methods and procedures

• Using Single-blind, or double blind studies.

• All options are correct.

Improving Validity of...

• A lie scale and anonymity

• Observations

• Should be clear and operationalised

• Behaviour categories for observations

• Using multiple sources - triangulation

• Qualitative methods

• Using Covert method

• Questionnaires

• Interpretations must match ppts reality

• Qualitative Method sources

What is one way to increase inter-rater reliability in observational studies?

• Providing clear and detailed coding schemes

• Changing the research question

• Reducing the number of observers

• Allowing observers to use their own judgment