What is the difference between reliability and validity?

Reliability is about whether the same result would be found if the experiment was repeated. An experiment must be replicable if it is to be reliable. One way to remember this is 'reliability requires replicability'.

On the other hand. validity is about whether the experiment is measuring what it says it is measuring. You can have a test that is very reliable, which suggests good things about the experiment, but the test may not actually have validity - it may be testing a completely different pattern/relationship. 

PH
Answered by Phoebe H. Psychology tutor

24410 Views

See similar Psychology A Level tutors

Related Psychology A Level answers

All answers ▸

What is the difference between a one-tailed and two-tailed hypothesis?


How do I balance description and evaluation when answering an essay based question?


Describe one individual cause of criminal behaviour and explain how one study investigates it


Give advantages of using a laboratory experiment


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning