![Sample our Behavioral Sciences journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/110801/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Behavioral-Sciences.jpg"})
Abstract
A latent variable modeling method for studying maximal reliability of unidimensional multicomponent measuring instruments with correlated errors is outlined. In the presence of correlation between 2 residual terms, the procedure allows one to point and interval estimate the reliability of the linear combination of the scale components that possesses the highest possible reliability coefficient. The approach is readily applicable with popular latent variable modeling software and also provides an alternative scoring rule to the widely used overall sum score for homogeneous psychometric scales. The discussed method is illustrated with a numerical example.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The contributions of both authors were equivalent. This research was in part conducted while Tenko Raykov was visiting the Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Mannheim, Germany. We are grateful to G. Hancock and George A. Marcoulides for informative discussions on maximal reliability, and to B. Rammstedt for valuable support.