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Reliability

Definition

Consistency of measurement: test-retest, inter-rater, and internal-consistency coefficients all quantify different aspects of this.

Related terms

AUC Statistic
Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve; the standard criterion-validity metric for forensic risk and malingering instruments, with 0.70 considered a minimum...
Base Rate
The prior probability of an event or proposition before specific evidence is considered. In forensic inference, the base rate is the probability...
BSA 2023 § 39
Section 39 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023, the provision governing expert opinion evidence in Indian courts. Replaced Indian Evidence Act 1872...
Consequential Validity
The fairness and equity implications of test use; includes disparate impact on racial or cultural groups and the systematic bias this may...
Criterion Validity
The degree to which test scores predict or correlate with an external criterion; predictive criterion validity is most relevant to forensic instruments.
Daubert Standard
The US federal evidentiary standard (Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 1993) requiring that expert testimony be based on scientifically valid methods with...
Ecological Validity
The degree to which a measurement or test procedure produces results that generalise from the controlled laboratory context to the real-world condition...
Incremental Validity
The improvement in predictive accuracy that a test adds over and above prior information; justifies the cost and burden of additional assessment.
Positive Predictive Value (PPV)
The probability that a person who tests positive on a risk instrument will actually reoffend. PPV depends on both the instrument's sensitivity...
Structured Professional Judgment (SPJ)
Assessment approach that anchors clinical judgment to empirically validated risk-factor items while preserving room for case-specific integration.
Validity
The degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretation of test scores for a specific purpose; modern standards treat it as...

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