Example calculation of Cronbach's alpha and Standard Error of Measurement, using conventional formula, the rearranged formula, as well

as an approximation to SEM (SEM*) that does not require calculation of alpha. Items I.1 0 1 1 1 1

Persons

S.1 S.2 S.3 S.4 S.5

I.2 1 0 0 0 1

I.3 0 0 0 1 1

I.4 1 0 1 0 1

I.5 1 0 1 0 1

I.6 1 0 1 1 1

I.7 0 0 0 0 0

I.8 0 1 1 1 1

I.9 1 1 1 0 1 0.20

Item variances

0.20 0.30 0.30 0.30 Sum of item variances = Number of items =

0.30 0.20 0.00 0.20 2.300 =SUM(C12:L12) 10 =COUNT(C12:L12)

Cronbach's alpha = 0.619658 SEM = 1.40633 SEM (alternative formula) = 1.40633 SEM* = 1.51658

=G14/(G14-1)*(1-(G13/(O8^2))) = k/(k-1)* (1- (Sum of Item Variances/( (SD p =O8*SQRT(1-C17) = (SD persons) * sqrt (1- alpha) = SQRT((G14*G13)/(G14-1) -O8^2/(G14-1) ) = sqrt (k*(Sum of Item varianc =SQRT(G13) = sqrt (Sum of Item variances)

Click on the other tab to see the calculation for an example in which SD persons = 0 (i..e. all candidates get the same total). Note on processing these data in SPSS. Item 7 has zero variance. That means that SPSS will remove it from any calculations of reliability that require calculation of covariances, and a different version of alpha (and the number of items) will be obtained. The basic reliability command, with no additional statistics, calculates alpha as here, based on 10 items.

using conventional formula, ot require calculation of alpha.

I.10 0 0 1 1 1

Total 5 3 7 5 9

Statistics for persons Mean persons 5.800 =AVERAGE(M6:M10) SD persons 2.280 =STDEV(M6:M10) Variance persons 5.200 =O8^2

0.30 = (e.g.) VAR(L6:L10)

) = k/(k-1)* (1- (Sum of Item Variances/( (SD persons)^2))))

-O8^2/(G14-1) ) = sqrt (k*(Sum of Item variances)/(k-1) - (SD persons)^2/(k-1)

ber of items) will be obtained.

Example calculation of Cronbach's alpha and Standard Error of Measurement, using conventional formula, the rearranged formula, as well as an approximation to SEM (SEM*) that does not require calculation of alpha. Items I.1 0 1 1 1 0

Persons

S.1 S.2 S.3 S.4 S.5

I.2 1 0 0 0 1

I.3 0 1 0 1 1

I.4 1 0 1 0 0

I.5 1 0 0 0 1

I.6 1 0 1 1 0

I.7 0 0 0 0 0

I.8 0 1 1 1 1

I.9 1 1 0 0 1

I.10 0 1 1 1 0

Item variances 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.30 0.00 0.20 0.30 0.30 Sum of item variances = 2.600 =SUM(C12:L12) Number of items = 10 =COUNT(C12:L12) Example calculation when SD (persons) is zero and hence alpha cannot be calculated but SEM and SEM* still can be. Cronbach's alpha = SEM = SEM (alternative formula) = SEM* = #### #### 1.700 1.612

=G14/(G14-1)*(1-(G13/(O8^2))) = k/(k-1)* (1- (Sum of Item Variances/( (SD =O8*SQRT(1-C17) = (SD persons) * sqrt (1- alpha) = SQRT((G14*G13)/(G14-1) -O8^2/(G14-1) ) = sqrt (k*(Sum of Item varian =SQRT(G13) = sqrt (Sum of Item variances)

Click on the other tab to see the calculation for an example in which SD persons is not equal to zero

Note on processing these data in SPSS. SPSS is unable to process these data in the reliability program because SD = 0, and an error occurs.

ntional formula, alculation of alpha.

Total 5 5 5 5 5

Statistics for persons Mean persons 5.000 =AVERAGE(M6:M10) SD persons 0.000 =STDEV(M6:M10) Variance persons 0.000 =O8^2

= (e.g.) VAR(L6:L10)

SEM and SEM* still can be. Division by zero Division by zero = sqrt (k*(Sum of Item variances)/(k-1) - (SD persons)^2/(k-1)

Sum of Item Variances/( (SD persons)^2))))