ERIC Number: EJ1369552
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1364-5579
EISSN: EISSN-1464-5300
Available Date: N/A
The Effects of COVID-19 on Test-Retest Reliability in a Behavioral Measure for Impulsivity
Romanowich, Paul; Chen, Qian
International Journal of Social Research Methodology, v25 n6 p897-903 2022
Predictive power of many behavioral measures relies on high test-retest reliability, whereby a measure yields similar data when repeated measure administration occurs at spaced-out intervals. However, major environmental disruptions between measure administration may impact test-retest reliability. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused just such a major environmental disruption. We collected impulsivity data via a delay discounting task before, during, and after this environmental disruption. Test-retest reliability was generally statistically significant throughout the study even as delay discounting rates changed in the expected direction between the two experimental groups. Importantly, non-significant correlation coefficients (i.e. poor test-retest reliability) typically occurred immediately after the environmental disruption. Participant's anecdotal self-reports corroborated COVID-19's temporary disruptive impact. Although not a planned manipulation, this data provides useful information about whether major environmental disruptions may impact test-retest reliability for events that may not be replicable during a controlled experiment. Social and behavioral scientists attempting behavioral measurement through well-validated measures should be aware of whether large environmental changes can affect measure reliability, and how long such a disruption may last.
Descriptors: COVID-19, Pandemics, Test Reliability, Behavior Rating Scales, Conceptual Tempo, Prediction, College Students, Change, Student Behavior
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1812599
Author Affiliations: N/A