Exam 6: Reliability and Validity in Measurement and Research

To assess the validity of a college admissions test, a researcher will correlate the test scores with the students' first semester grade-point average. Which type of validity is the researcher investigating?

Evaluating whether an instrument correlates highly with similar measures as well as whether the instrument does not correlate well with dissimilar measures is to determine which type of validity?

David is afraid that the results from his experiment may not be able to be replicated in real life situations. David is concerned that his experiment lacks which type of validity?

Which of the following refers to how well a measure or research design does what it purports to do?

If a test consists of questions that reflect the kinds of material of interest to the researcher, then the test is said to have good ____________ validity.

Which two types of validity are concerned with the strength or weakness of one's causal inferences? Why?

The Spearman-Brown formula is used to determine the __________ reliability of an instrument.

Margaret calculates the average inter-item correlations for her scale and then uses the Spearman-Brown formula for her final calculations. Margaret is calculating the __________ reliability of the instrument.

What is the difference between validity and reliability? Why are they both of concern to researchers?

Construct validity of an instrument is established by examining an instrument's __________ and __________ validity.

__________ errors tend to cancel out over the long run whereas __________ do not.

The degree to which a measure correlates with other outcome measures is called

What is internal-consistency reliability? Why would one use the Spearman-Brown formula to assess this type of reliability?

Using a future criterion to evaluate the criterion validity of an instrument is called

What is meant by external validity? How might one try to demonstrate the external validity of a study?

After the completion of an experiment, a researcher realizes that there is another explanation for the results other than the original hypothesis. The researcher realizes that this experiment is deficient with respect to which type of validity?

Which type of validity refers to whether a measure distinguishes between related but conceptually distinct behaviors or traits?

Caroline administers a scale to a group of students and then asks them to complete the scale again a few days later. Which type of reliability is Caroline trying to assess?

The "ability to discriminate" is a characteristic of which type of validity?

What is the difference between random and systematic error? Which error represents more of a threat to the nature of the conclusions that can be drawn from a study? Why?