SAGE Journal Articles

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SAGE Journal User Guide

Article 1: Savva, C., Karagiannis, C. & Rushton, A. (2012). Test–retest reliability of grip strength measurement in full elbow extension to evaluate maximum grip strength. The Journal of Hand Surgery, 38E(2), 183–186. DOI: 10.1177/1753193412449804

 [Hand surgeons and physio-therapists will often measure grip strength (GS) using a dynamometer to assess the functional integrity of the hand and upper limb. This study was designed to investigate the test–retest reliability of GS using the Jamar dynamometer in full elbow extension (FEE) in healthy participants.]

Questions to Consider:

  1. Describe at least three (3) testing procedures these researchers took to ensure the measurement of grip strength was done in a standardized process, i.e. everything was the same for all participants.
  2.  Discuss why the authors attribute the slightly higher SEM on the second measurement to be a “learning effect.”
  3. Did the researchers find the use of the Jamar dynamometer to be stable and reliable when measuring the grip strength of healthy individuals?  Explain why you would say they did, or did not, find it to be stable and reliable.

 

Article 2: Janet E. Helms, J.E., Henze, K.T.,  Sass, T.L. & Mifsud, V.A. (2006). Treating Cronbach’s Alpha Reliability Coefficients as Data in Counseling Research. The Counseling Psychologist, 34 (5), 630-660. DOI: 10.1177/0011000006288308

[Focusing on Cronbach’s coefficient alpha and consistent with testing standards, this article discusses good practices for analyzing, reporting, interpreting, and using reliability data, as well as presenting some pragmatic strategies for implementing those good practices with respect to reliability.]

Questions to Consider:

  1. What is the definition of reliability used by the authors of this study?
  2.  What are two basic assumptions of classical test theory that underlie a researcher’s use of alpha to estimate reliability?
  3. What process do the authors recommend for counseling psychologists to engage in to estimate the sample size needed to conduct comparative alpha reliability analyses at a desired power or level of confidence?