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Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods

Reliability

  • 3 things to know
  • AS Unit 2

Overview

Recall questions on internal reliability and external reliability.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Evaluation

What does reliability mean in psychological research?

Evaluation

Explain why an unreliable measure cannot be a valid one.

Key term

A stress questionnaire contains three items about sleep quality and one asking about political views. Which kind of reliability is threatened?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What does reliability mean in psychological research?

    Model answer

    Reliability is the consistency of a measurement, meaning whether it produces the same result when the same thing is measured again under the same conditions.

  2. 2

    Define internal reliability.

    Model answer

    Internal reliability is the extent to which a measure is consistent within itself, so that all of its items or components are measuring the same thing.

  3. 3

    Define external reliability.

    Model answer

    External reliability is the extent to which a measure gives consistent results when it is used on different occasions or by different researchers.

  4. 4

    A stress questionnaire contains three items about sleep quality and one asking about political views. Which kind of reliability is threatened?

    Model answer

    Internal reliability, because one item is not measuring the same thing as the rest of the questionnaire.

  5. 5

    A personality test gives a participant a very high score one week and a very low score a fortnight later, although nothing in their life has changed. Which kind of reliability is in doubt?

    Model answer

    External reliability, because the measure has not produced consistent results across occasions.

  6. 6

    Why does reliability matter when drawing conclusions from a study?

    Model answer

    If the measure is inconsistent, a difference in scores may reflect the unsteadiness of the measure rather than any real effect.

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Psychology Past to Present — The Five Approaches
Contemporary Debates
Principles of Research and Application of Research Methods
Mathematical Requirements for Psychology (Appendix A: AS Unit 2 and A2 Unit 4)

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