Question One
Psychological tests may not per se be considered as based on absolute science hence the need to consistently evaluate or defense their reliability and validity. The Values and Motives Questionnaire is no exception. Reliability means that a repeat test under the same parameters will produce the same results while validity means that the inventory actually tests what it is meant to test. The combination of the two establishes the accuracy of a testing procedure. To test the reliability, the developers tested every component of the test using the “test-retest”, then calculate the coefficients between taking the test more than once. Out of the 11 scales, eight exceeded the 0.7 score; the threshold for reliability. The others fell below it with the overall average being an SD of 0.64, which is acceptable. Validity, on the other hand, was measured through the inter-correlations process with the results being described as fairly modest.
Question Two: Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficients
There is a high variation in the Cronbach’s alpha coefficients used because the questions and answers were not limited to just agreeing and disagreeing. There were the secondary columns for strongly agreeing or strongly disagreeing. This made it difficult to statistically or scientifically pin down a definitive coefficient. Further, the resultant coefficients fell between .52 and .83. These coefficients neither reflect definitive strength or weakness but seem to be in the passable range. Generally, the coefficients would support a conclusion that the validity is passable but not definitively so. The generality of the results creates the impression that an attempt towards being termed as good enough from the perspective of validity was the end that the data was designed to meet.
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Question Three
Validity Test
The Values and Motives Inventory has a lot to do with temperaments, thus variety in temperaments is critical. The 159 students tested can be divided into two sets. One set is made up of psychology students while the other is made up of MBA students. Psychologists make up a very small percentage of any population and can be considered as special population segments . Their temperaments may, therefore, have some congruency. MBA students have the distinct characteristic of pursuing a post-graduate education, which is also not very common. It would be correct to state that this was not ordinary sample and cannot have congruency with the other samples used for the other tests.
VMQ Norming Population
For the Norming Population assessment, 155 student volunteers were tested 87 of who were women and 68 men. This sample is both too small and too congruent. From a gender perspective, this can be said to have been a representative population. However, they were all students who had volunteered. Once again, the issues of temperaments come up. Temperaments act as a major bearing factor in Values and Motives, which are tested in the instrument being e valuated herein. Students within the same institution who volunteer for the same project may vary biologically, but they will have an element of congruency when it comes to temperaments and this will affect the outcome.
Question Four: Reflection
The Values and Motives Questionnaire is a good tool that efficiently and effectively measures the values and motives of people. Its authors were well aware of this fact when they set out to prove its validity and reliability. However, a careful evaluation of the process and procedure they used to assess the tool creates a picture of the team that was keen on beating around the bush. The weaknesses and limitations based on the sample size and sample congruence were too clear to have been missed. This creates the impression that the team knew the tool was good, but had problems finding a scientific means of proving the same. They were, however, very keen not to prove that the tool was ineffective.
