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. 2009 Dec;14(4):400-12.
doi: 10.1037/a0016618.

A general approach for estimating scale score reliability for panel survey data

Paul P Biemer  1 , Sharon L Christ, Christopher A Wiesen
Affiliations

A general approach for estimating scale score reliability for panel survey data

Paul P Biemer et al. Psychol Methods. 2009 Dec.

Abstract

Scale score measures are ubiquitous in the psychological literature and can be used as both dependent and independent variables in data analysis. Poor reliability of scale score measures leads to inflated standard errors and/or biased estimates, particularly in multivariate analysis. Reliability estimation is usually an integral step to assess data quality in the analysis of scale score data. Cronbach's alpha is a widely used indicator of reliability but, due to its rather strong assumptions, can be a poor estimator (L. J. Cronbach, 1951). For longitudinal data, an alternative approach is the simplex method; however, it too requires assumptions that may not hold in practice. One effective approach is an alternative estimator of reliability that relaxes the assumptions of both Cronbach's alpha and the simplex estimator and thus generalizes both estimators. Using data from a large-scale panel survey, the benefits of the statistical properties of this estimator are investigated, and its use is illustrated and compared with the more traditional estimators of reliability.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cronbach’s Alpha Model for a Four-Item Scale Score.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Simplex Model for Three Repeated Scores.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Generalized Simplex Model for Three Repeated Scores.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Estimates of Reliability by Wave for Four Scale Score Measures Under Seven Model Assumptions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Biemer PP, Christ SL, Wiesen CA. Scale score reliability in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being. RTI International; Research Triangle Park, NC: 2006. Internal report.

MeSH terms