Validity vs. Reliability
The difference between the terms ‘validity’ and ‘reliability’ is that validity is the measure of thing in hand that either is correct or incorrect. Whereas reliability is a simpler approach, it has nothing to do with the correctness of the result but what matters is the conclusion obtained by the result.
Key Differences
Reliability refers to the consistency of the result whereas the resulting validity measures the preciseness of the result.
Reliability is easier to calculate as it refers only to the consistent results, but validity is difficult to measure as it requires a certain degree of accuracy. As a result to be called accurate.
A valid result can or cannot be reliable or while the reliable result can or cannot be valid.
There are no such types of reliability all it includes is testing and internal consistency whereas, validity has several types depending upon the degree of preciseness, accuracy and overall generalizing the results.
A result if repeatedly gives the same answer it is said to be reliable while if the result is correct or accurate it is said to be valid.
Comparison Chart
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Validity refers to the correctness of the results in hand.
Reliability refers to the consistency of the results.
Relation
A result that is valid is not necessarily reliable.
Similarly, a result that is reliable is not necessarily valid.
Ease to Determine
Validity is difficult to measure as it refers to the correctness of the result.
Reliability is easier to determine because only matters here is the outcome of the result
Types
Conclusion, Internal validity, External validity, Construct validity
Reliability is calculated by tests and internal consistency only.
Validity and Reliability Definitions
Validity
Well grounded; just
A valid objection.
Reliability
Capable of being relied on; dependable
A reliable assistant.
A reliable car.
Validity
Producing the desired results; efficacious
Valid methods.
Reliability
Yielding the same or compatible results in different clinical experiments or statistical trials.
Validity
Having legal force; effective or binding
A valid title.
Reliability
The quality of being reliable, dependable, or trustworthy.
Validity
Containing premises from which the conclusion may logically be derived
A valid argument.
Reliability
(education) the ability to measure the same thing consistently (of a measurement indicating the degree to which the measure is consistent); that is, repeated measurements would give the same result (See also validity).
Validity
Correctly inferred or deduced from a premise
A valid conclusion.
Reliability
(engineering) measurable time of work before failure
Validity
(Archaic) Of sound health; robust.
Reliability
The state or quality of being reliable; reliableness.
Validity
The state of being valid, authentic or genuine.
Reliability
The trait of being dependable or reliable
Validity
State of having legal force.
Validity
A quality of a measurement indicating the degree to which the measure reflects the underlying construct, that is, whether it measures what it purports to measure (see reliability).
Validity
The genuinity - as distinguished from the efficacity or the regularity - of a sacrament as a result of some formal dispositions being fulfilled.
Validity
The quality or state of being valid; strength; force; especially, power to convince; justness; soundness; as, the validity of an argument or proof; the validity of an objection.
Validity
Legal strength, force, or authority; that quality of a thing which renders it supportable in law, or equity; as, the validity of a will; the validity of a contract, claim, or title.
Validity
The quality of being logically valid
Validity
The quality of having legal force or effectiveness
Validity vs. Reliability
The terms validity and reliability are used in different contexts, but when it comes to statistics, they have a different meaning. Both terms are not related to each other because in statistics if a thing is valid, it is not necessary for it to be reliable. Similarly, if a result is reliable, it is not necessary for it to be valid. For example, if a weight machine is set to give a weight of a maximum hundred kilograms when a thing above hundred kilograms is placed on it, it will still show a hundred kilograms because it cannot read more. This result would be reliable but not valid. Reliability is oriented towards consistency whereas; validity is more about the correctness of results.
What is the Validity?
In statistics, validity is determined as the measure of the preciseness of the results. It counts the accuracy of the results. It is not possible for a human to give 100% accurate results as there always lies and error either human error or instrumentation error. The four types of validity include; Conclusion Validity, conclusion validity is basically the measure that how much the conclusion based on the relationship of variables is reasonable or correct on the base of data given. Whereas the second type of validity is internal validity which determines that the results that are obtained are only under the manipulation of independent variables. No other factor should be involved in the end results. While the third type of validity known as, external validity which means that to which extent a result could be generalized or in other words it is the measure that how much a result is applicable to the other researchers or data. The fourth type known as construct validity could be defined as the degree that a test could measure what it claims. In addition to these validity has many other types too, i.e. Validity evidence, alongside content validity, criterion validity, etc.
What is Reliability?
Reliability refers to the consistency of the result. Let’s start with an example, if a survey is conducted, and it gives the same result for a number of students in the school each year, the test would be reliable because it follows the same procedure that only twenty students are allowed to be in a class and in ten classes there must be two hundred people. The test is reliable but not valid. Because a general statement cannot be applied to all the classes as there might be fewer admissions, students may have left, etc. what matters for reliability is the result only. If a test result is consistent, it would be counted as a reliable result. But if the result doesn’t remain consistent, we may say that or claim that the result is not reliable. It is easier to calculate as follows the same procedure over and over again and hence gets a similar result consistent result again.
