Question

Name one potential reliability problem and one potential validity problem of taking a timed sorting test online

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. Also, I have defined the concepts from scholarly sources below. I did not see it befitting to answer too much in personal response.

(Answer) Potential Reliability: “The idea behind reliability is that any significant results must be more than a one-off finding and be inherently repeatable.

Other researchers must be able to perform exactly the same experiment, under the same conditions and generate the same results. This will reinforce the findings and ensure that the wider scientific community will accept the hypothesis.

Without this replication of statistically significant results, the experiment and research have not fulfilled all of the requirements of testability.

This prerequisite is essential to a hypothesis establishing itself as an accepted scientific truth.” (Citation: Validity and Reliability by Martyn Shuttleworth)

The issue of Potential Reliability with timed sorting test online:

Taking a single test online no matter how extensive is not always the best measure for most subjects. This is because sometimes external conditions or even internal stimulus could affect the results of the test. For instance, if there is any disturbance in the background or if the person taking the test is worried about their severe back pain, it could affect the result. Taking multiple small tests on separate occasions would have more reliability than just a single timed test.

Potential Validity: “Validity encompasses the entire experimental concept and establishes whether the results obtained meet all of the requirements of the scientific research method.

For example, there must have been randomization of the sample groups and appropriate care and diligence shown in the allocation of controls. Even if your results are great, sloppy and inconsistent design will compromise your integrity in the eyes of the scientific community.

Internal validity dictates how an experimental design is structured and encompasses all of the steps of the scientific research method. Internal validity and reliability are at the core of any experimental design.

External validity is the process of examining the results and questioning whether there are any other possible causal relationships.”

(Citation: Validity and Reliability by Martyn Shuttleworth)

The issue of Potential Validity with timed sorting test online: The problem with the validity of a timed test is the inadequacy of time. Sometimes an individual’s neural pathways take time to come to an accurate conclusion. Not only will the test be taken in a sloppy manner because the test taker will be in a hurry but also, if the answers may be more accurate and consistent if more time is granted. To overcome this issue, the person taking the online test should be allowed to take their time to answer the questions. People taking timed tests, sometimes come up with an answer because they need to answer fast. They don’t always answer because they have calculated the correct answer.

Therefore taking ‘a timed sorting test online’ does not always hold potential reliability and potential validity points in terms of research.