Internal Consistency Reliability
"Internal consistency reliability relates to the extent to which all the variables that make up the scale are measuring the same thing" (Muijs, 2011, pg. 217).
contributed by Joseph W. Sullivan
Example:
You have just opened a restaurant and would like to find out how satisfied your costumers are with the level of customer service from your staff. You send out a survey to your costumers asking them to answer 3 specific questions to measure their overall satisfaction:
- Satisfied with the staff service
- Most likely to recommend your restaurant
- My tip will reflect my satisfactory experience
When you provide a survey that has good internal consistency, their answers should also show consistency. This could translate to:
- Agree
- Somewhat agree
- Strongly agree
Most researchers choose to provide at least two questions that measure the same thing.
contributed by Sandra Peña
