Final answer:
Specificity is the term used for a procedure's ability to measure only the intended component(s), which is essential to avoid issues like cross-reactivity in laboratory practices. Precision is a measure of consistency in repeated measurements, and reliability indicates the likelihood of consistent replication of study results.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ability of a procedure to measure only the component(s) it claims to measure is called specificity. Specificity is crucial in many laboratory practices, particularly when dealing with substances such as polyclonal antibodies where cross-reactivity with inappropriate antigens can be an issue, which compromises specificity. Meanwhile, precision refers to how closely a measurement matches the same measurement when repeated, indicating consistency. Reliability is the measure of a study's consistency and the likelihood that results can be replicated if a study is reproduced. A measurement needs to be valid by accurately reflecting the topic of the study.