Which term describes the consistency of results across repeated trials?

Which term describes the consistency of results across repeated trials?

• A. Validity
• B. Reliability
• C. Bias
• D. Sampling

Answer: (B)

Consistency across repeated trials is reliability: when you repeat the same measurement under the same conditions, getting similar results shows the method is stable and dependable. This quality is what researchers call reliability, and it can show up in different forms, such as test-retest reliability (a test yields similar scores if taken again) and inter-rater reliability (different observers produce similar ratings). Validity, on the other hand, asks whether the measurement actually measures what it’s intended to measure, which is about accuracy rather than repeatability. Bias refers to a systematic error that skews results in a particular direction, compromising accuracy, and sampling concerns how participants are chosen, affecting generalizability rather than how consistent the results are across trials. Because the prompt focuses on repeatability across trials, reliability is the best fit.

Consistency across repeated trials is reliability: when you repeat the same measurement under the same conditions, getting similar results shows the method is stable and dependable. This quality is what researchers call reliability, and it can show up in different forms, such as test-retest reliability (a test yields similar scores if taken again) and inter-rater reliability (different observers produce similar ratings). Validity, on the other hand, asks whether the measurement actually measures what it’s intended to measure, which is about accuracy rather than repeatability. Bias refers to a systematic error that skews results in a particular direction, compromising accuracy, and sampling concerns how participants are chosen, affecting generalizability rather than how consistent the results are across trials. Because the prompt focuses on repeatability across trials, reliability is the best fit.