Just how reliable is your internal reliability? An overview of Cronbach’s alpha (α)

Abstract

Cronbach’s alpha (α) is the most widely used statistic denoting a scale’s internal reliability. Higher internal reliability is associated with greater confidence in the scale and the associated conclusions made from the results. Cronbach’s alpha is often used without consideration of the factors which may mediate coefficient statistics. The current report provides suggestions for future authors to improve their understanding of, inferences made from, and writing about Cronbach’s alpha.