Meta-Analysis of Scale Reliability Using Latent Variable Modeling

A latent variable modeling approach is outlined that can be used for meta-analysis of reliability coefficients of multicomponent measuring instruments. Important limitations of efforts to combine composite reliability findings across multiple studies are initially pointed out. A reliability synthesis procedure is discussed that is based on examination of measurement and reliability invariance, and proceeds with combining scale reliability coefficients across studies when these invariance conditions hold. Point and interval estimation of a common scale reliability coefficient if existing is then described, which is furnished as a by-product of the procedure. The proposed method is illustrated with a numerical example.