Advanced Research Methods Unit 3 Reliability and Validity

Reliability Ability to produce similar results when repeated measurements are made under identical conditions. Inter-rater reliability Test-retest reliability Parallel-forms reliability Split-half reliability

Reliability Interrater – ratings of multiple observers Test-retest – administering the same test twice, separated by time Parallel-forms – parallel forms of test administered Split-half – responses separated into two halves

Validity Extent to which a measure assesses what it is intended to measure. Face validity – how well a measure appears to measure the intended variable Content validity – how well a measure samples intended content

Validity Construct validity Measure of a psychological variable Criterion-related validity Concurrent validity – test scores and score on criterion are collects at same time Predictive validity – test scores compared with a criterion measured at a later date

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Qualitative Researchers provide a verbal summary of observations Researchers code observations to identify themes, categorize information, and record observations

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Quantitative Provides a numerical summary of the observations. Calculates descriptive statistics (mean, mode, median).

Types of Dependent Variables Behavioral measures – record behaviors Physiological measures – assessment of bodily functions (heart rate, respiration, etc.) Self-report measures – rating scales Implicit measures – assessments participant is not consciously aware of

Discussion