The DOI matches its Crossref record; 2 of the 2 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
COEFFICIENT ALPHA AND THE RELIABILITY OF COMPOSITE MEASUREMENTS
Abstract
Following a general approach due to Guttman, coefficient α is derived as a lower bound on the reliability of a test. The necessary and sufficient condition under which equality is attained in this inequality and hence that α is equal to the reliability of the test is derived and shown to be closely related to the recent redefinition of the concept of parallel measurements due to Novick. This condition is then also shown to be closely related to the unit rank assumption originally adopted by Kuder and Richardson in the derivation of their formula 20. The assumption later adopted by Jackson and Ferguson and the one adopted by Gulliksen are shown to be related to the necessary and sufficient condition derived here. It is then pointed out that the statement that “coefficient α is equal to the mean of the split‐half reliabilities” is true only under the condition assumed by Cronbach in the body of his derivation of this result. Finally some limitations on the uses of any function of α as a measure of internal consistency are noted.
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Citations
Cites
Coefficient Alpha and the Internal Structure of Tests
Cronbach, L. J. (1951) · Psychometrika · doi:10.1007/bf02310555 · Cited by 43,931
THEORY OF GENERALIZABILITY: A LIBERALIZATION OF RELIABILITY THEORY†
Cronbach, L. J., Rajaratnam, N., & Gleser, G. C. (1963) · British Journal of Statistical Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-8317.1963.tb00206.x · Cited by 737
Research works printed but not linked: 11
- 10.1177/001316445801800404 · DOI
- 10.1007/BF02287978 · DOI
- 10.1037/13240-000 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1007/BF02288892 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1007/BF02289270 · DOI · Paper page
- Jackson R. W. B., 1941, Studies on the reliability of tests
- 10.1007/BF02288391 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1007/BF02289759 · DOI
- 10.1007/BF02289239 · doi:10.1007/bf02289239
- 10.1016/0022-2496(66)90002-2 · DOI · Paper page
- Rulon P. J., 1939, A simplified procedure for determining the reliability of a test by split‐halves, Harvard Educational Review, 9, 99
Cited by
What is coefficient alpha? An examination of theory and applications
Cortina, J. M. (1993) · Journal of Applied Psychology · doi:10.1037/0021-9010.78.1.98 · Cited by 8,810
Zander, U., & Kogut, B. (1995) · Organization Science · doi:10.1287/orsc.6.1.76 · Cited by 3,266
On the use, the misuse, and the very limited usefulness of Cronbach’s alpha
Sijtsma, K. (2009) · Psychometrika · doi:10.1007/s11336-008-9101-0 · Cited by 2,814
Thanks coefficient alpha, we’ll take it from here.
McNeish, D. (2018) · Psychological Methods · doi:10.1037/met0000144 · Cited by 2,533
Zinbarg, R. E., Revelle, W., Yovel, I., & Li, W. (2005) · Psychometrika · doi:10.1007/s11336-003-0974-7 · Cited by 1,439
Metadata
- Authors
- Novick, M. R., & Lewis, C.
- Venue
- ETS Research Bulletin Series
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1966-06
- Volume
- 1966
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-13
- ISSN
- 0424-6144 (ISSN-L)
- 2333-8504
- OpenAlex
- W2026052996
- Cited by
- 446
- References
- 2
- FWCI
- 6.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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- Novick, M. R., & Lewis, C. (1966). COEFFICIENT ALPHA AND THE RELIABILITY OF COMPOSITE MEASUREMENTS. ETS Research Bulletin Series. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2333-8504.1966.tb00356.x
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