Question 1

Reliability refers to the extent to which a scale produces valid results if repeated measurements are made.

Accepted Answer

Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure, not its validity. Validity is about whether the scale measures what it is supposed to measure.

Question 2

A measure of internal consistency reliability that is the average of all possible split-half coefficients resulting from different splittings of the scale items is called coefficient gamma.

Accepted Answer

The measure described in the statement is actually coefficient alpha, not coefficient gamma. Coefficient gamma involves splitting the items in half and computing the correlation between the two halves.

Question 3

Scales are only presented horizontally.

Accepted Answer

Scales can be presented vertically as well as horizontally depending on the type of scale and the context in which it is being used.

Question 4

Discriminant validity is a measure of construct validity that measures the extent to which the scale correlates positively with other measures of the same construct.

Accepted Answer

Discriminant validity is the measure of construct validity that measures the extent to which a scale correlates negatively with other measures that are conceptually unrelated. In other words, it is the degree to which a scale is distinct from other constructs that it should not be related to.

Question 5

Systematic error describes measurement error that arises from arbitrary changes that have a different effect each time the measurement is made.

Accepted Answer

Systematic error refers to consistent, repeatable errors associated with faulty equipment or flawed experiment design, not arbitrary changes.

Question 6

Random error affects the measurement in a constant way and represents stable factors that affect the observed score in the same way each time the measurement is made.

Accepted Answer

Random error affects the measurement in an unpredictable way and represents unstable factors that affect the observed score differently each time the measurement is made.

Question 7

According to the text,total measurement error is determined by multiplying systematic error with random error.

Accepted Answer

Total measurement error is determined by adding systematic error and random error, not multiplying them.

Question 8

Alternative-form reliability is a form of internal consistency reliability in which the items constituting the scale are divided into two halves,and the resulting half scores are correlated.

Accepted Answer

Alternative-form reliability involves creating two different versions of a test to measure the same construct, not dividing a single test into halves. The description given is for split-half reliability.

Question 9

According to the text,researchers may assess validity using coefficient validity.

Accepted Answer

Coefficient validity is not a recognized term in research methodology. Researchers typically assess validity using methods such as content validity, construct validity, and criterion-related validity.

Question 10

Validity is the extent to which differences in observed scale scores reflect true differences among objects on the characteristic being measured,rather than systematic or random errors.

Accepted Answer

Validity refers to the degree to which a test measures what it claims to measure, and is related to the accuracy of the test scores in representing the construct being measured. It is important to ensure that any differences observed between groups or individuals on a test or scale are due to true differences, and not to measurement errors.

Question 11

Test-retest reliability is an approach for assessing reliability in which respondents are administered identical sets of scale items at two different times under as nearly equivalent conditions as possible.

Accepted Answer

Test-retest reliability involves administering the same scale items to respondents at two different times to assess consistency in their responses over time.

Question 12

The extent to which a scale produces consistent results if repeated measurements are made on the characteristic is called reliability.

Accepted Answer

This is the definition of reliability.

Question 13

A construct is more abstract than everyday concepts.

Accepted Answer

Constructs are generally defined by a set of criteria, measurements, or theoretical explanations that may not be immediately obvious or tangible, making them more abstract than everyday concepts.

Question 14

Perfect reliability implies perfect validity.

Accepted Answer

Perfect reliability means that a measure is consistent, while perfect validity means that a measure accurately reflects what it is intended to measure. A measure can be consistently incorrect and therefore have perfect reliability but poor validity.

Question 15

Random reliability is a popular approach for assessing reliability.

Accepted Answer

Random reliability is not a recognized approach for assessing reliability. There are various established methods for assessing reliability such as test-retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, internal consistency reliability, and parallel forms reliability.

Question 16

An approach for assessing reliability,which requires two equivalent forms of the scale to be constructed and then measures the same respondents at two different times using the alternate forms,is called alternative-form reliability.

Accepted Answer

This statement accurately describes the concept of alternative-form reliability.

Question 17

A scale consisting of multiple items,in which an item is a single question or statement to be evaluated is called a multi-item scale.

Accepted Answer

This is a correct definition of a multi-item scale.

Question 18

Criterion validity is a type of validity that consists of a subjective but systematic evaluation of the representativeness of the content of a scale for the measuring task at hand.

Accepted Answer

Criterion validity refers to the extent to which a measure is related to an outcome, not the representativeness of the content. The latter describes content validity.

Question 19

A type of validity that addresses the question of what characteristic the scale is measuring is called construct validity.

Accepted Answer

Construct validity is concerned with whether a measurement tool is actually measuring the theoretical construct or characteristic it is intended to measure.

Question 20

Internal consistency reliability is used to assess the reliability of a summated scale and refers to the consistency with which each item represents the construct of interest.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true.

Quiz 10: Measurement and Scaling: Noncomparative Scaling Techniques