Reliability in
Measurement
NAME-JASMEEN KAUR
ROLL-2110
Definition of reliability in measurement
The Test of reliability is another important test of sound
measurement . A measuring instrument is reliable if it provides
consistent results . Reliable measuring instrument does contribute to
validity, but a
Reliable instrument need not be a valid instrument . It has to do with
the accuracy and precision of a measurement procedure . It is
considered that , when the outcome of a measuring process is
reproducible , then the scale is reliable . Reliable measuring scales
provide stable measures at different time under different conditions .
For example ; if a coffee vending machine is reliable .
The reliability can be defined as the degree to which the
measure of a particular instruments are free from as a
result produce consistent result .However in certain
situation, poor data collection method give rise. To
measure in marketing research low reliability . The
qualityof the data collected can become poor if the
responded do no understand the question properly and
give irrelevant answer to them.
Methods to Evaluate Reliability to scales;
[Link] Retest Method:
In this method, one has
respondents complete the scale at two different
the correlation between the two scores. The accuracy of
this method rests on the assumption that the participants
are fundamentally the same during two test periods. One
common problem is that completing the scale first time
can change the way that respondents complete the scale
second time. If they remember any of their
Specific responses, it could artificially indicate evidence
that this is not an issue.
[Link] forms method:
This method , also referred to as
parallel
forms , is basically the same as the Test-Retest method, but with
the use of different versions of the scale during each session to
reduce
The likelihood that the first application of the scale influences
Responses to the second . The reliability of the scale can then be
estimated by the correlation between the two scores. When using
alternate forms it should show both that the application of the
first
Scale did not affect responses to the second and that the two
Versions of scale are essentially the same. The use of this method
is
generally preferred to the Test- Retest method.
3. Spilt-halves method:
one difficulty with both the
Test-
Retest method and the Alternate Forms method is that
scale responses must be collected at two different
points in time. This requires must be collected at two
different points in time. This requires more work and
introduce the possibility that some natural event night
change the actual true score between the two
applications of the scale . In the Split Halves method
that only have respondents out scale one time.
They divide scale item into two section and
calculate
Scores for each half .Then determine the correlation between
these two scores. Unlike the other methods, this correlation
does not estimate the scales reliability . Instead, one get
estimate using the formula:
p= 2r
1+r
Where , p = Reliability estimate and
r= correlation that is obtained
Note that if scale is splitted in different ways , different
reliability estimate will be obtained.
4. Internal consistency:
Another way to calculate reliability is to
use a measure of internal consistency . The most popular of
these reliability estimate is Cronbach’s alpha . Cronbach’s
Alpha can be obtained using the equation:
a = Nr
1+r (N-1)
Where a =Cronbach’s alpha
N= Number of items in the scale,and
r = Mean inter-item correlation.
Calculating Cronbach’s alpha is the most
commonly used procedure to estimate reliability . It is
highly
accurate and has the advantage of only requiring a single
application on the scale the only real disadvantage is that it
is difficult to calculate by hand; require calculating the
correlation between every single pair of item in scale. This
is rarely an issue, however, as well the major statistical
packages have procedures that will calculate
automatically .
The reliability of scale is heavily dependent of
the number of item composing the scale . Even using items
with poor internal consistency one can get are reliable
scale if the scale is long enough .
THANKS
