Reliability and Validity

• Identify and outline two other types of validity in psychological research.

  • Internal validity: The extent to which a study is free of design faults affecting results.
  • External validity: How well findings can be generalized to other people, time periods, and settings.
• How could inter-observer reliability be ensured?

  By comparing observations and discussing discrepancies to reach a consensus
• What is one method a psychologist can use to check the validity of their data?

  Conducting a pilot study to assess the effectiveness of the measures used
• How is inter-observer reliability calculated?

  By comparing the observations of different observers and calculating a kappa score
• How can the reliability of data collected be improved?

  By standardizing procedures to ensure consistency across trials
• What is meant by reliability in research?

  The consistency of a research study or measuring test
• What is meant by validity in research?

  The degree to which a study accurately reflects or assesses the concept it intends to measure
• What is test-retest reliability?

  Assessing the same person on two separate occasions to show the extent the test produces the same answers
• What is inter-observer reliability?

  A method to assess reliability by comparing observations from different observers
• How can standardization improve reliability in experiments?

  By ensuring that the procedure is the same each time the experiment is repeated
• What is meant by internal validity?

  The extent to which a study is free of design faults that may affect results
• What is external validity?

  How well findings can be generalized to other people, time periods, and settings
• What is ecological validity?

  Are the findings generalizable to the real world?
• What is temporal validity?

  How accurate are the results compared to other time periods or eras?
• What is population validity?

  Does the sample represent wider populations?
• What is face validity?

  An intuitive measure of whether a test appears to measure what it is supposed to measure
• What is concurrent validity?

  Comparing tests to see if they have the same results
• How can validity be improved?

  By amending questions to be specific and removing irrelevant ones
• What is a double-blind study?

  A study in which neither the participants nor the researchers know who is receiving a particular treatment