RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY 1
Benchmark Exploring Reliability and Validity
Taylor Davis
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
Types of Reliability and Validity
There are two types of reliability described in the VMQ. These are stability and internal
consistency (Values and motives questionnaire, n.d.). The test that is specifically being used in
the VMQ to measure the internal consistency is Cronbach’s Alpha. This test measures the
internal correlation of the items on the scale. Cronbach’s Alpha does not measure the test
taker’s applicability of values and motives (Values and motives questionnaire, n.d.).
The validity of a test demonstrates if the assessment is in fact measuring the values and
motives. A validity test offers a possible correlation between the test results and the individual’s
motives and values. The VMQ validation used construct validity. This measure examines how the
RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY 2
VMQ performs in terms of accurately measuring motives and values (Values and motives
questionnaire, n.d.).
Reliability: Cronback Alpha Coefficients
Cronbach’s Alpha internal consistency reliabilities were calculated for both males and
females combined. In the VMI scales, many exceed the 0.7 level. The affiliative (0.74), altruistic
(0.74), affection (0.79), security (0.79), traditional (0.70), and ethical (0.70) scales all reported as
acceptable in terms of the Alpha coefficient (Values and motives questionnaire, n.d.). Both
finance and aesthetics reported an Alpha score of 0.83, meaning that the measurement is
accurate
(Values and motives questionnaire, n.d.). There were, however, some lower scores on the scale.
This included achievement (0.53), moral (0.68), independence (0.66), and infrequency (0.52)
scales (Values and motives questionnaire, n.d.). All of the VMI scales scored a minimum of 0.82
on the standard error of measurement (SEM). This means that the margin of error is slim
(Values and motives questionnaire, n.d.).
Sample Size and Nature of the Population
Validity
A selection of 159 psychology and MBA students were chosen to complete the VMI
assessment. Between the MAPP and VMI, there were 59 psychology undergraduates that
participated. There was a high correlation between the MAPP and VMI (0.83), which suggests
that the two scales are interchangeable (Values and motives questionnaire, n.d.). There were
also a number of high correlations found between the VMI and OPP, suggesting notable overlap
(Values and motives questionnaire, n.d.). Of the 159 participants, 100 individuals were MBA
students and, therefore, completed the VMI and 16PF (Values and motives questionnaire, n.d.).
It was found that the extroversion factors of the 16PF generally correlate with the interpersonal
values of the VMI (Values and motives questionnaire, n.d.).
RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY 3
There are a few concerns regarding the validity of the sample size and the nature of the
population. The population is entirely comprised of individuals who are actively obtaining a
degree. The population for the VMQ consisted of 68 males and 87 females (Values and motives
questionnaire, n.d.). The other population did not specify the gender of the participants. This
could be a concern for validity because of differences in the comparable test subjects. The VMQ
also mentioned that the volunteers for the MAPP population were not dependable, which could
also impact the validity (Values and motives questionnaire, n.d.).
VMQ Norming Population
I believe that the general population is not accurately represented. The population that
was used for this test were MBA and psychology students. They were in the process of obtaining
degrees that required them to take the survey. This proposes a potential conflict of interest,
possibly compromising the validity of the test. Also, there was no breakdown of the male to
female ratio of participants. This affects the validity of comparison to the general population.
The population used was not described in terms of age, background, race, or culture. Therefore,
I do not believe it is fair to use as a comparison to the general population.
Personal Opinion of the VMQ
Overall, the VMQ appears to have good reliability and validity. However, I believe that
more demographic information about the sample population should have been disclosed. This
includes information about race, culture, age, and gender. Knowing this demographic
information would have increased the validity and reliability of the test. However, validity was
present via construct validity. In a study by Sheperis et al. (2020), they determined that tests
become more useful and meaningful with valid questionnaires. Results can be applied better if
researchers can make assumptions about the constructs.
RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY 4
References
Sheperis, C. J., Drummond, R. J., & Jones, K. (2020). Assessment procedures for counselors and
helping professionals. Pearson.
Values and motives questionnaire – psytech. (n.d.). Retrieved June 4, 2025, from
https://www.psytech.co.za/images/PsytechSA/VMI/VMIMan.pdf
(Values and motives questionnaire, n.d.).
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
