The DOI matches its Crossref record; 9 of the 9 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Limitations of Coefficient Alpha as an Index of Test Unidimensionality1
Abstract
Confusion in the literature between the concepts of internal consistency and homogeneity has led to a misuse of coefficient alpha as an index of item homogeneity. Coefficient alpha is actually a complexly determined test statistic, item homogeneity only being one influence on its magnitude. The related statistic, the average intercorrelation, has similar difficulties. Several indices of item homogeneity derived from the model of common factor analysis are offered as alternatives.
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“However, reliability assumes that the scale is already unidimensional, and when it is not, reliability can be artificially inflated (see Al-Hoorie & Vitta, in press;Green, Lissitz, & Mulaik, 1977;Sijtsma, 2009).”
From The L2 motivational self system: A meta-analysis (2018) · cites this paper as Green, Lissitz, & Mulaik, 1977
Citations
Cites
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Allen, M. P. (1973) · Sociological Methodology · doi:10.2307/270832 · Cited by 28
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- Lord, F. M., 1968, Statistical theories of mental test scores
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Making sense of cronbach’s alpha.
Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011) · International Journal of Medical Education · doi:10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfd · Cited by 15,126
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
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Clark, L. A., & Watson, D. (1995) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/1040-3590.7.3.309 · Cited by 6,567
An updated paradigm for scale development incorporating unidimensionality and its assessment
Gerbing, D. W., & Anderson, J. C. (1988) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.1177/002224378802500207 · Cited by 6,293
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OECD, Union, E., & Joint Research Centre - European Commission (2008) · doi:10.1787/9789264043466-en · Cited by 3,960
Metadata
- Authors
- Green, S. B., Lissitz, R. W., & Mulaik, S. A.
- Affiliations
- Arizona State University (US)
- University of Georgia (US)
- Georgia Institute of Technology (US)
- ORCID
- Green, Samuel B.
- Venue
- Educational and Psychological Measurement
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1977-12
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 827-838
- ISSN
- 0013-1644 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-3888
- OpenAlex
- W2074351684
- Cited by
- 522
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 22 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 3.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Educational and Psychological Measurement (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Social Sciences › Education › Educational Assessment and Pedagogy
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Reliability and Agreement in Measurement
- Keywords
- Cronbach's alpha, internal consistency, item homogeneity, common factor model
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