Reliability Methods: A Note on the Frequency of Use of Various Types

Abstract

This study examined the frequency of use of various types of reliability coefficients for a systematically drawn sample of 696 tests appearing in the APA-published Directory of Unpublished Experimental Mental Measures. Almost all articles included some type of reliability report for at least one test administration. Coefficient alpha was the over-whelming favorite among types of coefficients. Several measures treated almost universally in psychological-testing textbooks were rarely or never used. Problems encountered in the study included ambiguous designations of types of coefficients, reporting reliability based on a study other than the one cited, inadequate information about subscales, and simply incorrect recording of the information given in an original source.