Research Paper on:
Reliability & Validity

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
can the results of a study be duplicated. Validity, on the other hand, refers to whether or not a particular study measure actually does measure the phenomenon for which it  was intended (Sage, 2001). As this suggests, a study can be completely reliable, producing the same results in repeated trials, and still be wrong. Trochim (2002) points  out that reliability and validity are often considered as separate ideas, but they are, in fact, related closely to each other. The difference between the two concept, as well as  their significance to psychological research, can be demonstrates through a simple metaphor. Trochim (2002) asks the reader to image a target and think of the center of the  target as being the hypothesis of a study, that is, the target is the concept that the researcher is trying to measure. Each person in the study constitutes one  shot at the target. If the research study measures it test concept accurately, then there is a perfectly placed shot in the middle of the target for each test subject  (Trochim, 2002). The more the study is off for that particular trait with that test subject, the further the shot is from the center of the target. Trochim then  pictures four targets. In the first one, the shots are all groups to the right of the center. This means that the researcher systematically and consistently measured the wrong value  for all of the studys respondents. The measure is reliable, but not valid (Trochim, 2002). The study is consistent, therefore reliable, but wrong. The second target shows hits that are  randomly spread across the target area. According to Trochim, this is analogous to getting correct indications of group behavior, but not for individuals. This is a valid group estimate,