Metainformation
| Tag | Value |
|---|---|
| file | Reliability_eur-reliability-119-en_eur-reliability-119-en |
| name | eur-reliability-119-en |
| section | Reliability/Analysis/Cronbach's alpha |
| type | string |
| solution | "" |
| Type | Conceptual |
| Program | |
| Language | English |
| Level | Statistical Literacy |
Question
In a clinical study, a researcher investigates the relationship between visual analogue scales (VAS) and interpretation bias (VAS‐IB) in children who have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Below you see the scatterplot of the two variables in the non‐clinical population. The correlation between the variables is .5.
The researcher mistakenly thinks he can use the reliability estimates from the non‐clinical population as estimates in the clinical population. Explain why he is mistaken and predict whether the reliability estimates will presumably be lower or higher in the clinical population.
Solution
He is mistaken because the variation in true scores will be smaller for the anxious children since their scores with respect to their social anxiety are more similar than the ones in the non‐clinical population. Since reliability relies on the ability to detect differences in scores, the low ability to differentiate the scores in the clinical population makes the reliability lower than in the non‐clinical population.