Generalizability theory explicitly recognizes that multiple sources of
error and true score variance exist and that measures may have differ
ent reliabilities in different situations. Thus, it enjoys many advant
ages over classic true score theory; however, it is relatively little
used by social science researchers outside of educational psychology.
This unfortunate situation has arisen, in part, because researchers do
not realize that the coefficients of generalizability, which generali
zability theory produces, are reliability coefficients. Labelling thes
e coefficients as reliability coefficients should increase interest in
, and the use of, generalizability theory.