Reliability

• What is the main focus of psychology in relation to measurement?

  Measuring behavior consistently
• Why is reliability important in psychological investigations?

  It ensures consistent results across studies
• What is a simple definition of reliability?

  Measure of consistency
• What is external reliability in psychological measures?

  Consistency of results across different times
• What is internal reliability in psychological measures?

  Consistency among different parts of a measure
• How can internal reliability be assessed using a questionnaire?

  By splitting it into two parts
• What does a strong correlation in the split-half method indicate?

  Internal reliability of the measure
• What is the test-retest method used for?

  Assessing external reliability
• What does inter-observer reliability assess?

  Agreement between different observers' results
• How do researchers ensure inter-observer reliability?

  By using the same behavioral categories
• What statistical tests are used to measure correlations?

  Pearson's r or Spearman's rho
• What correlation value indicates a reliable measure?

  0.8 or stronger
• What can improve reliability in observational studies?

  Training observers and operationalizing categories
• How can interviews be structured to improve reliability?

  By carefully phrasing questions
• What type of questions can reduce confusion in questionnaires?

  Closed questions
• What should researchers do if measuring established factors?

  Use established tests instead of new ones
• What is important for experiments to ensure reliability?

  Clear standardized procedures
• What should researchers keep constant in experiments?

  Environmental conditions
• What are the methods to assess reliability in psychological measures?

  • Split-half method for internal reliability
  • Test-retest method for external reliability
  • Inter-observer reliability for observational studies
• How can researchers improve reliability in their studies?

  • Train observers
  • Operationalize behavioral categories
  • Structure interviews
  • Use closed questions in questionnaires
  • Follow standardized procedures in experiments
• What are the differences between internal and external reliability?

  • Internal reliability: Consistency within a measure
  • External reliability: Consistency across different times or researchers
• What is the significance of a strong correlation in reliability assessments?

  • Indicates that the measure is reliable
  • Correlates with consistent results across tests