Assignment task:
List three different scenarios where raters or observers could be used for data collection in a research study. Need Assignment Help?
In research, raters or observers are used when collecting data that requires human judgment or interpretation. One common scenario is in educational assessments, where observers rate student behaviors or instructional methods. For example, Mudford et al. (2009) examined how trained observers used handheld computers to record student behaviors during instructional sessions. The study found that the accuracy of observations varied depending on the algorithm used to assess agreement, with block-by-block and exact agreement methods showing limitations at extreme behavior frequencies.
Another important setting is clinical diagnostics, where professionals observe patient interactions or symptoms to inform treatment decisions. Stora et al. (2013) conducted a study where raters evaluated parent-child interactions in families with children exhibiting conduct problems. The study generalizability theory approach showed that more raters were needed to assess complex behaviors reliably, like discipline and monitoring, highlighting the importance of rater quantity and design in observational studies. In behavioral research, when coding non-verbal behaviors in psychological studies, multiple observers make interpretations of behaviors like facial expressions or gestures consistent. Training observers in behavior data collection has been shown to improve the reliability of such assessments (Mudford et al., 2009).
Discuss three different statistical procedures used to evaluate interrater reliability in research.
Several statistical procedures, such as Cohen's kappa, Fleiss Kappa, and the Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), are employed to evaluate the consistency among raters. Cohen's kappa is one widely used method for assessing agreement between two raters for categorical data. It adjusts for the agreement expected by chance and is especially helpful in healthcare research where subjective judgment is common (McHugh, 2012). An extension of Cohen's kappa is Fleiss's kappa, which assesses agreement among multiple raters. It is useful when more than two observers are involved and the data is categorical (Fleiss, 1971). For continuous data, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) is recommended. According to Koo and Li (2016), ICC measures correlation and captures the level of absolute agreement between raters. The authors emphasize selecting the correct form of ICC based on study design elements such as rater type and whether consistency or absolute agreement is being measured (Koo & Li, 2016). These tools are critical in validating the consistency of data in research.
References:
Fleiss, J. L. (1971). Measuring nominal scale agreement among many raters. Psychological Bulletin, 76(5), 378-382.
Stora, B., Hagtvet, K. A., & Heyerdahl, S. (2013). Reliability of observers' subjective impressions of families: A generalizability theory approach. Psychotherapy Research, 23(4), 448-463.
Koo, T. K., & Li, M. Y. (2016). A guideline of selecting and reporting intraclass correlation coefficients for reliability research. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 15(2), 155-163.
McHugh, M. L. (2012). Interrater reliability: The kappa statistic. Biochemia Medica, 22(3), 276-282.
Mudford, O. C., Taylor, S. A., & Martin, N. T. (2009). Assessing observer accuracy in continuous recording of rate and duration: Three algorithms compared. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42(3), 527-539.