title: Reliability and validity of single-item self-reports: with special relevance to college students' alcohol use, religiosity, study, and social life.
abstract: The authors tested the assumption that single-item measures have unacceptably low reliability and validity. On 2 occasions 11 weeks apart, college students reported on the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption, 2 religious behaviors, time of study and of socializing (focal items), and other qualities and characteristics. Most test-retest reliabilities were good to excellent; objective facts were more reliable than subjective evaluations; and target items had good validity when correlated with 2-week nightly log records of corresponding behaviors in a multimethod multitrait matrix. The exception was self-reported study, with relatively low reliability and validity, suggesting the non-trait-like quality of this behavior. Single-item measures may be better than commonly thought.
authors: Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901, USA. dollngr@siu.edu
authors: Stephen J
authors: SJ
authors: Dollinger
authors: Danielle
authors: D
authors: Malmquist
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012919:Social Behavior; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult