Exploring Reliability and Validity

In a 600–900 word document (not including the title and reference page), students will analyze the psychometrics provided from the Values and Motives Questionnaire (VMQ). Use APA formatting for title page, margins, and section headings. To receive full credit for this assignment, be sure to: 1.     Address the type of reliability and validity used. Explain the types of reliability and validity used. The authors of the VMQ do a good job of explaining general principles of norming, 2 types of reliability, and 2 types of validity on pages 14–15. But when they present the specific information about reliability in the first paragraph on page 17, they specifically state that they are using one (1) type of reliability and where this data can be found. This is the reliability that you will describe. The same applies to validity; find the specific information provided by the authors on the VMQ. 2.     Reliability: Address the areas of concern/strength for the Cronbach alpha coefficients. Look at each of the constructs (scales) the test purports to measure and identify the proper category of low, acceptable, and high ranges of the Chronbach’s alpha coefficients for each scale. Use the chart provided in the “What Makes a Good Test” handout. This explains how to read reliability and validity coefficients. Match them to what is in the manual. Report the reliability category for all scales. Look at the number/percent of the scales with problematic versus acceptable internal consistency alpha values. What do you observe? 3.     Explain how sample size and the nature of the population may influence the constructs that the test attempts to measure, noting any strengths and weaknesses in these areas. a.      Validity: Look at the population used for the VMQ and the populations for the tests used to evaluate the VMQ’s validity. Do you believe that the populations of the other tests are comparable to the population used in the VMQ? Does this raise an issue with the validity? b.     VMQ Norming Population: Is it representative of the population you want to use it for? How about gender and cultural representation? Is there demographic information and is it sufficient to draw conclusions? Do you believe that the results of the group taking the VMQ are broad enough to generalize to other populations? Did they sample enough people to believe that this sample captures the traits of the population? The answers to these questions will help you to evaluate potential issues with both validity and generalizability. 4.     Form an opinion of the test using the information in your report. Summarize the psychometric properties you reported. Look at your evaluation of reliability, validity, and population. Based on your findings, do you believe that the VMQ’s authors sufficiently establish the reliability and validity of the VMQ? Note any concerns. Be sure to view this in terms of the sample size and the makeup of the populations used to norm the instruments. This adds important meaning to the reliability and validity coefficients.     To access and download the VMQ Technical Manual, click on the following link: Values and Motives Questionnaire: The Technical Manual.   Book: Sheperis, C. J., Drummond, R. J., & Jones, K. D. (2020) Assessment procedures for counselors and helping professionals (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson