Reliability

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Definition: The extent to which repeated measurements lead to the same results. In psychometrics, reliability refers to the extent to which respondents have similar scores when they take a questionnaire on multiple occasions. Noteworthy, reliability does not imply validity. Furthermore, additional types of reliability besides internal consistency exist, including: test-retest reliability, parallel forms reliability and interrater reliability.

Related terms: Consistency, Internal consistency, Quality Criteria, Replicability, Reproducibility, Validity

References:

  • Bollen, K. A. (1989). Structural Equations with Latent Variables (pp. 179–225). John Wiley & Sons.
  • Drost, E. A. (2011). Validity and reliability in social science research. Education Research and Perspectives, 38(1), 105–123.

Originally drafted by: Annalise A. LaPlume

Reviewed by: Mahmoud Elsherif**;** Eduardo Garcia-Garzon, Kai Krautter, Olmo van den Akker