Dr. Sparks is concerned because he gave Julie a new intelligence test that he personally designed and her scores do not seem very consistent. Which aspect of psychological testing is Dr. Sparks concerned with?

A) Validity
B) Self-report measures
C) Reliability
D) Falsifiability


Answer: C
Rationale: Reliability refers to how consistent and stable measurements are across multiple observations and points in time. In this example, the inconsistency of Julie's test scores indicates that the test is not reliable. Although it is likely that the test is also not valid (i.e., it does not really measure intelligence), Dr. Sparks' immediate concern is clearly with the reliability of the test.

Psychology

You might also like to view...

The ____________ pairing of the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus has the single strongest effect on respondent conditioning

a. initial b. final c. second d. next to last

Psychology

A piano is a good example of a basic-level category

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Psychology

From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, adolescent substance use generally

a. increased. b. declined. c. stayed about the same. d. increased in terms of marijuana use, but declined in terms of alcohol use.

Psychology

Freud thought that one defense mechanism was key to all other defense mechanisms. Which mechanism was accorded this primary status?

A. displacement B. reaction formation C. denial D. repression

Psychology