Question 1

As long as a test has good validity, the reliability is not important.

Accepted Answer

Reliability is also important in addition to validity because a test that is valid but not reliable may not consistently produce the same results when administered to the same group of individuals. Reliability refers to the consistency or stability of a test's results over time or across different examiners or testing conditions.

Question 2

Which of the following is not used to measure internal consistency?
A) Kuder-Richardson-20
B) coefficient alpha
C) split-half reliability
D) interrater reliability

Accepted Answer

Interrater reliability is not a measure of internal consistency, but rather a measure of the consistency of ratings or observations made by different raters or observers. Kuder-Richardson-20, coefficient alpha, and split-half reliability are all commonly used measures of internal consistency.

Question 3

The scores obtained by Dr. Smith on a psychology test were compared and it was determined that students who scored high on the first exam tended to score high on the second exam. Which of the following represents the probable correlation between the two sets of scores?
A) no correlation
B) positive correlation
C) negative correlation
D) valid correlation

Accepted Answer

Since students who scored high on the first exam tended to score high on the second exam, this represents a positive correlation between the two sets of scores.

Question 4

When a teacher gives a test to students on one occasion, repeats the exam on the same students at a later date, and then correlates the scores, the teacher is demonstrating interest in determining which of the following?
A) split-half reliability
B) face validity
C) construct validity
D) test-retest reliability

Accepted Answer

The teacher is demonstrating an interest in determining the test-retest reliability of the exam by correlating the scores from the two administrations of the test. Test-retest reliability refers to the degree to which a test produces consistent results over time when administered to the same individuals.

Question 5

Which of the following refers to the consistency of scores on a specific instrument across time or across items?
A) test variability
B) test validity
C) test error
D) test reliability

Accepted Answer

Test reliability refers to the consistency of scores on a specific instrument across time or across items. Test variability refers to the range of scores on a particular test. Test validity refers to the extent to which a test measures what it is intended to measure. Test error refers to the degree to which test scores are influenced by factors other than what the test is measuring.

Question 6

The term used to ensure that a psychological trait, personality trait, psychological concept, attribute or theoretical characteristic is measured by an instrument.
A) construct validity
B) determined by the purpose of the assessment
C) determined by the examiner according to the criterion
D) test-retest reliability

Accepted Answer

Construct validity is the term used to ensure that a psychological trait, personality trait, psychological concept, attribute, or theoretical characteristic is measured by an instrument. It refers to the extent to which an assessment tool measures what it is intended to measure. It is essential to establish construct validity to ensure that the results of psychological assessments are accurate and reliable.

Question 7

A correlation of +.88 represents a strong negative correlation.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. A correlation of +.88 represents a strong positive correlation, not a strong negative correlation.

Question 8

Which type of reliability study may yield a lower coefficient, before correction, due to the reduced number of items?
A) split-half reliability
B) interrater reliability
C) coefficient alpha
D) Kuder-Richardson-20

Accepted Answer

Split-half reliability involves dividing a test into two halves and correlating the scores on each half. If the test has a small number of items, the reduced number of items in each half may reduce the reliability coefficient before correction.

Question 9

Measures of internal reliability are used to determine which of the following?
A) The stability of a trait over time.
B) The stability of a trait across different groups.
C) Consistency of items on an instrument to measure a skill, trait or domain.
D) Consistency of scoring by various examiners.

Accepted Answer

Measures of internal reliability are used to determine the consistency of items on an instrument to measure a skill, trait, or domain. The other options (A, B, and D) are related to measures of external reliability, which assess the consistency of a measure across time, different groups, or different examiners.

Question 10

When a preschool test is needed to determine how students will perform in reading, it is important that the test have good predictive reliability.

Accepted Answer

Good predictive reliability means the test can accurately predict future performance, which is important in determining reading readiness in preschool students.

Question 11

When attempting to analyze error using estimated true score, the estimated score will be closer to the group mean than the obtained score.

Accepted Answer

This is because the estimated true score takes into account measurement error, which tends to pull individual scores closer to the group mean.

Question 12

When a test measures what it was designed to measure and what it purports to measure, this test is said to be reliable.

Accepted Answer

A test that measures what it was designed to measure and what it purports to measure is said to be valid, not reliable. Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure.

Question 13

When analyzing the correlation illustrated on a scattergram, the closer the approximation of a straight line, the nearer the correlation is to which of the following?
A) +1.00
B) 0
C) +.50
D) -.50

Accepted Answer

The closer the points on the scattergram are to forming a straight line, the stronger the correlation between the two variables. A perfect positive correlation is represented by +1.00, indicating that the variables move in perfect alignment with each other.

Question 14

A teacher who administers a wide range achievement test in reading i.e., WRAT) is able to take the score obtained and generalize it across all of the individual domains/skills of reading.

Accepted Answer

A wide range achievement test (WRAT) measures a student's performance in three areas: reading, math, and spelling. It provides an overall score for each area but does not give specific scores or feedback on individual skills or domains within those areas. Therefore, the score obtained cannot be generalized across all individual domains/skills of reading.

Question 15

The validity of a test should be determined by how consistent the results are over time.

Accepted Answer

The consistency of test results over time refers to the test's reliability, not its validity. Validity is about whether the test measures what it is supposed to measure.

Question 16

Some of the variables of content validity that may influence the manner in which results are obtained and can contribute to bias in testing include presentation format and response mode

Accepted Answer

This is true. The format in which the content is presented (e.g. written, verbal, visual) and the mode in which respondents are asked to respond (e.g. multiple choice, open-ended) can affect the validity of the results and introduce bias.

Question 17

Standard error of measurement is used to determine confidence intervals.

Accepted Answer

Standard error of measurement is calculated to determine the range in which a true score falls with a certain degree of confidence, thus allowing for the calculation of confidence intervals.

Question 18

Which of the following may be determined by analyzing the relationship between two sets of scores?
A) standard error
B) reliability
C) deviation
D) percentiles

Accepted Answer

The relationship between two sets of scores can be analyzed to determine the reliability of a measure. The other options listed are not directly related to analyzing the relationship between two sets of scores.

Question 19

Generally, when tests measure constructs that are affected by developmental changes, the reliability may not be as good for very young ages.

Accepted Answer

This is because young children's abilities are still developing and they may not fully understand or engage with the test material in the same way that older children or adults do. As a result, their performance may be more variable and less consistent over time, which can decrease the test's reliability.

Question 20

Which of the following statements is true concerning the relationship between reliability and standard error of measurement?
A) In general, the higher the reliability, the higher the standard error of measurement.
B) In general, the higher the reliability, the lower the standard error of measurement.
C) There is no way to determine a consistent relationship between the two, most of the time.
D) There is a positive correlation between the standard deviation and the standard error of measurement as well as reliability.

Accepted Answer

There is an inverse relationship between reliability and standard error of measurement, meaning that when reliability is high, the standard error of measurement is low. This is because a high reliability indicates that the test results are consistent and therefore there is less error in the measurement. Conversely, a low reliability indicates that the test results are inconsistent, and therefore there is greater error in the measurement which increases the standard error of measurement.

Quiz 4: Reliability and Validity

As long as a test has good validity, the reliability is not important.

Which of the following is not used to measure internal consistency?

The scores obtained by Dr. Smith on a psychology test were compared and it was determined that students who scored high on the first exam tended to score high on the second exam. Which of the following represents the probable correlation between the two sets of scores?

When a teacher gives a test to students on one occasion, repeats the exam on the same students at a later date, and then correlates the scores, the teacher is demonstrating interest in determining which of the following?

Which of the following refers to the consistency of scores on a specific instrument across time or across items?

The term used to ensure that a psychological trait, personality trait, psychological concept, attribute or theoretical characteristic is measured by an instrument.

A correlation of +.88 represents a strong negative correlation.

Which type of reliability study may yield a lower coefficient, before correction, due to the reduced number of items?

Measures of internal reliability are used to determine which of the following?