Making Reliability Reliable

TLDR

Current conventions for test‑score reliability coefficients are unsystematic, chaotic, and inconsistently named, leading researchers to rely on coefficient alpha without full understanding. The study establishes a systematic naming convention, generates formulas, and defines representation methods for reliability coefficients, aiming to guide researchers in selecting appropriate measures. A user‑friendly calculator is introduced that computes various multidimensional reliability coefficients with a few clicks, supplemented by illustrative numerical examples. The solution simplifies the choice between coefficient alpha and composite reliability, providing clear guidance and accessible computational tools.

Abstract

The current conventions for test score reliability coefficients are unsystematic and chaotic. Reliability coefficients have long been denoted using names that are unrelated to each other, with each formula being generated through different methods, and they have been represented inconsistently. Such inconsistency prevents organizational researchers from understanding the whole picture and misleads them into using coefficient alpha unconditionally. This study provides a systematic naming convention, formula-generating methods, and methods of representing each of the reliability coefficients. This study offers an easy-to-use solution to the issue of choosing between coefficient alpha and composite reliability. This study introduces a calculator that enables its users to obtain the values of various multidimensional reliability coefficients with a few mouse clicks. This study also presents illustrative numerical examples to provide a better understanding of the characteristics and computations of reliability coefficients.