Reliability and Validity

    OCR
    GCSE

    The dichotomy between Reliability (replicability/consistency) and Validity (truthfulness/depth) represents the fundamental methodological tension in Sociology. Candidates must understand this trade-off through the lens of the theoretical debate between Positivism (seeking scientific laws/causation via quantitative data) and Interpretivism (seeking Verstehen/meaning via qualitative data). Mastery involves evaluating how research design choices—such as sampling, operationalisation, and researcher detachment—impact the integrity of data.

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    Objectives
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    Exam Tips
    4
    Pitfalls
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    Key Terms
    5
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Define reliability strictly as the consistency of results upon repetition of the research.
    • Define validity as the extent to which data provides a true and accurate picture of social reality.
    • Credit analysis that links standardized instructions and closed questions to high reliability.
    • Award marks for identifying threats to validity, such as the Hawthorne Effect or Social Desirability Bias.
    • Evaluate the inverse relationship: acknowledge that increasing reliability (e.g., fixed-choice answers) often constrains validity.

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Define reliability strictly as the consistency of results upon repetition of the research.
    • Define validity as the extent to which data provides a true and accurate picture of social reality.
    • Credit analysis that links standardized instructions and closed questions to high reliability.
    • Award marks for identifying threats to validity, such as the Hawthorne Effect or Social Desirability Bias.
    • Evaluate the inverse relationship: acknowledge that increasing reliability (e.g., fixed-choice answers) often constrains validity.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡Use the mnemonic 'Reliability = Repeatability' to prevent confusion under timed conditions.
    • 💡When discussing validity, explicitly name the distortion mechanism (e.g., 'interviewer effect' or 'imposition problem').
    • 💡In source-based questions, quote the specific aspect of the method (e.g., 'anonymous survey') that impacts reliability.
    • 💡For 12-mark questions, structure arguments by juxtaposing a high-reliability method against a high-validity method.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Conflating reliability with 'fairness' or general 'accuracy' rather than consistency.
    • Asserting a method is valid without specifying why (e.g., failing to mention ecological validity or rapport).
    • Assuming that large sample sizes automatically guarantee validity (they improve representativeness, not necessarily validity).
    • Failing to apply the concepts to the specific source material provided in Section A.

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    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Identify
    Describe
    Explain
    Discuss
    Evaluate
    To what extent

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