TY - JOUR
T1 - A Coefficient Alpha for Test-Retest Data
AU - Green, Samuel B.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2003/3
Y1 - 2003/3
N2 - Transient errors are caused by variations in feelings, moods, and mental states over time. If these errors are present, coefficient alpha is an inflated estimate of reliability. A true-score model is presented that incorporates transient errors for test-retest data, and a reliability estimate is derived. This estimate, referred to as the test-retest alpha, is less than coefficient alpha if transient error is present and is less susceptible to effects due to item recall than a test-retest correlation. An assumption underlying the test-retest alpha is essential tau equivalency of items. A test-retest split-half coefficient is presented as an alternative to the test-retest alpha when this assumption is violated. The test-retest alpha is the mean of all possible test-retest split-half coefficients.
AB - Transient errors are caused by variations in feelings, moods, and mental states over time. If these errors are present, coefficient alpha is an inflated estimate of reliability. A true-score model is presented that incorporates transient errors for test-retest data, and a reliability estimate is derived. This estimate, referred to as the test-retest alpha, is less than coefficient alpha if transient error is present and is less susceptible to effects due to item recall than a test-retest correlation. An assumption underlying the test-retest alpha is essential tau equivalency of items. A test-retest split-half coefficient is presented as an alternative to the test-retest alpha when this assumption is violated. The test-retest alpha is the mean of all possible test-retest split-half coefficients.
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U2 - 10.1037/1082-989X.8.1.88
DO - 10.1037/1082-989X.8.1.88
M3 - Article
C2 - 12741675
AN - SCOPUS:0043280893
SN - 1082-989X
VL - 8
SP - 88
EP - 101
JO - Psychological Methods
JF - Psychological Methods
IS - 1
ER -