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AQA Psychology - Research Methods - Reliability

Psychology15 CardsCreated about 1 month ago

Reliability refers to how consistent the findings from an investigation or measuring device are. A study or test is reliable if it produces similar results under consistent conditions.

What is reliability?

How consistent the finding from an investigation or measuring device are

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Key Terms

Term
Definition

What is reliability?

How consistent the finding from an investigation or measuring device are

What is a measuring device reliable?

Produces consistent results every time it is used

What is test-retest reliability?

Method of assessing reliability of questionnaire or psychological test by testing same person on two separate occasions

What does a test-retest reliability show?

The extent the test produces the same answer

What is inter-observer reliability?

The extent of which two or more observers agree on an observation of behaviour

How is inter-observer reliability measured?

Correlating the observations of two or more observers

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TermDefinition

What is reliability?

How consistent the finding from an investigation or measuring device are

What is a measuring device reliable?

Produces consistent results every time it is used

What is test-retest reliability?

Method of assessing reliability of questionnaire or psychological test by testing same person on two separate occasions

What does a test-retest reliability show?

The extent the test produces the same answer

What is inter-observer reliability?

The extent of which two or more observers agree on an observation of behaviour

How is inter-observer reliability measured?

Correlating the observations of two or more observers

How do you calculate inter-observer reliability?

(Total number of agreements)/(total number of observation)

What does the calculated inter-observer reliability have to be greater than in order to have a high inter-observer reliability?

0.8

How do you improve the reliability of questionnaires?

  • Test-retest
    - Should produce a correlation that exceeds +0.8

What happens if test-retest is low in questionnaires?

Some items may need to be deselected or rewritten

How do you improve the reliability of interviews?

  • Same interviewer

- If not all should be trained the same

What can reduce interviewer bias?

Structured interviews as behaviours are more controlled by fixed questions

How do you improve the reliability of experiments?

  • Lab experiments = reliable as strict control over many aspects

  • High reliability in method rather than findings

How do you improve the reliability of observations?

Making sure to have operationalised behavioural categories (measurable and self-evident)

Should categories overlap or not?

They shouldn’t