A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

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What method assesses external consistency by repeating a test over time?

Split-half method
Test-retest method
Inter-rater reliability
Internal validity check

The correct answer is: Test-retest method

The test-retest method is designed to assess external consistency by administering the same test to the same group of participants at two different points in time. This method allows researchers to evaluate the stability of the test scores across time, which is indicative of the reliability of the measurement. If the results are similar on both occasions, it suggests that the test is measuring a stable attribute and is reliable. This is particularly important in psychological assessments where traits or behaviors are expected to be relatively consistent over time. In contrast, the split-half method evaluates internal consistency, where a single test is divided into two halves, and the scores for both halves are compared. Inter-rater reliability assesses the degree to which different raters give consistent estimates of the same phenomenon, while internal validity checks are concerned with whether the study accurately measures what it intends to measure, not with consistency over time. Each of these methods serves different purposes in research methodology, but the test-retest method specifically focuses on external reliability through temporal repetition.