Reliability
Definition
Reliability refers to the consistency or repeatability of an assessment tool. It means that if you take the same psychological test multiple times under similar conditions, you should get roughly similar results each time.
Analogy
Reliability is like your favorite coffee shop where every time you order your go-to drink, it tastes exactly how you expect it. Just like how you want your coffee to be consistent, a psychological test should give consistent results.
Related terms
Test-Retest Reliability: The consistency of scores when the same person takes the same test multiple times under similar conditions.
Internal Consistency: The degree to which different items on a test are related to one another.
Inter-rater Reliability: The degree of agreement among raters or judges who independently evaluate and score an individual's performance.
"Reliability" appears in:
Practice Questions (7)
- Which of the following best describes reliability in the context of intelligence testing?
- Which viewpoint would challenge widely-accepted research findings on Flashbulb Memories' reliability?
- How does the misinformation effect challenge the reliability of eyewitness testimonies?
- Which type of reliability requires two separate but similar forms of tests?
- Which type of reliability refers to the consistency across different portions of the same test?
- Which type of reliability refers to the consistency across different versions or forms of a measurement tool?
- In carrying out research around psychotropic medications' effect on schizophrenia patients’ cognitive functions, what would strengthen the reliability?
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