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Research Methods

Reliability, validity and bias

  • 3 things to know
  • Components 01 and 02

Overview

Internal, external and inter-rater reliability, ecological, population and construct validity, demand characteristics, social desirability, and gender, cultural, age, experimenter and observer bias.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Two observers coded the same 50 behaviours and agreed on 44 of them. What is their percentage agreement?

Key term

What is reliability?

Key term

What is internal reliability, and how can it be checked?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is reliability?

    Model answer

    Reliability means consistency. A reliable measure gives the same results when the study is repeated in the same way.

  2. 2

    What is internal reliability, and how can it be checked?

    Model answer

    Internal reliability is how consistently all parts of a test measure the same thing. The split-half method compares scores on one half of the test with the other half.

  3. 3

    What is external reliability, and how can it be checked?

    Model answer

    External reliability is how consistent a measure is from one occasion to another. The test–retest method gives the same test to the same people later and compares the scores.

  4. 4

    What is inter-rater reliability?

    Model answer

    Inter-rater reliability is the extent to which two or more observers agree when recording the same behaviour. Clear behaviour categories and observer training improve inter-rater reliability.

  5. 5

    Two observers coded the same 50 behaviours and agreed on 44 of them. What is their percentage agreement?

    Model answer

    The observers agreed on 88% of the behaviours. The calculation is 44 ÷ 50 × 100 = 88%. Agreement this high suggests good inter-rater reliability.

  6. 6

    What is validity?

    Model answer

    Validity is whether a study measures what it claims to measure. Validity also covers whether the findings apply beyond the study itself.

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