Which type of validity measures the relationship between a measure and an outcome?
Validity is the extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure. It is vital for a test to be valid in order for the results to be accurately applied and interpreted. Show
Psychological assessment is an important part of both experimental research and clinical treatment. One of the greatest concerns when creating a psychological test is whether or not it actually measures what we think it is measuring. For example, a test might be designed to measure a stable personality trait but instead, it measures transitory emotions generated by situational or environmental conditions. A valid test ensures that the results are an accurate reflection of the dimension undergoing assessment. Validity isn’t determined by a single statistic, but by a body of research that demonstrates the relationship between the test and the behavior it is intended to measure. There are four types of validity. Content ValidityWhen a test has content validity, the items on the test represent the entire range of possible items the test should cover. Individual test questions may be drawn from a large pool of items that cover a broad range of topics. In some instances where a test measures a trait that is difficult to define, an expert judge may rate each item’s relevance. Because each judge bases their rating on opinion, two independent judges rate the test separately. Items that are rated as strongly relevant by both judges will be included in the final test. Internal and External ValidityInternal and external validity are used to determine whether or not the results of an experiment are meaningful. Internal validity relates to the way a test is performed, while external validity examines how well the findings may apply in other settings. Criterion-Related ValidityA test is said to have criterion-related validity when it has demonstrated its effectiveness in predicting criteria, or indicators, of a construct. For example, when an employer hires new employees, they will examine different criteria that could predict whether or not a prospective hire will be a good fit for a job. People who do well on a test may be more likely to do well at a job, while people with a low score on a test will do poorly at that job. There are two different types of criterion validity: concurrent and predictive. Concurrent ValidityConcurrent validity occurs when criterion measures are obtained at the same time as test scores, indicating the ability of test scores to estimate an individual’s current state. For example, on a test that measures levels of depression, the test would be said to have concurrent validity if it measured the current levels of depression experienced by the test taker. Predictive ValidityPredictive validity is when the criterion measures are obtained at a time after the test. Examples of tests with predictive validity are career or aptitude tests, which are helpful in determining who is likely to succeed or fail in certain subjects or occupations. Construct ValidityA test has construct validity if it demonstrates an association between the test scores and the prediction of a theoretical trait. Intelligence tests are one example of measurement instruments that should have construct validity. A valid intelligence test should be able to accurately measure the construct of intelligence rather than other characteristics, such as memory or education level. Essentially, construct validity looks at whether a test covers the full range of behaviors that make up the construct being measured. The procedure here is to identify necessary tasks to perform a job like typing, design, or physical ability. In order to demonstrate the construct validity of a selection procedure, the behaviors demonstrated in the selection should be a representative sample of the behaviors of the job. Face ValidityFace validity is one of the most basic measures of validity. Essentially, researchers are simply taking the validity of the test at face value by looking at whether it appears to measure the target variable. On a measure of happiness, for example, the test would be said to have face validity if it appeared to actually measure levels of happiness. Obviously, face validity only means that the test looks like it works. It does not mean that the test has been proven to work. However, if the measure seems to be valid at this point, researchers may investigate further in order to determine whether the test is valid and should be used in the future. A survey asking people which political candidate they plan to vote for would be said to have high face validity, while a complex test used as part of a psychological experiment that looks at a variety of values, characteristics, and behaviors might be said to have low face validity because the exact purpose of the test is not immediately clear, particularly to the participants. Reliability vs. Validity While validity examines how well a test measures what it is intended to measure,
reliability refers to how consistent the results are. There are four ways to assess reliability:
It's important to remember that a test can be reliable without being valid. Consistent results do not always indicate that a test is measuring what researchers designed it to. Frequently Asked Questions
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By Kendra Cherry
Thanks for your feedback! What are the four types of validity?Table of contents. Construct validity.. Content validity.. Face validity.. Criterion validity.. What are the types of validity in measurement?Types of Measurement Validity. There are two forms of measurement validity: It can be measured in terms of the design of an experiment. It can be measured in terms of the specific tests or procedures that are being used in a study.
What are the 3 main types of measurement validity?Here we consider three basic kinds: face validity, content validity, and criterion validity.
What is the relationship between measurement reliability and measurement validity?Reliability and validity are both about how well a method measures something: Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure (whether the results can be reproduced under the same conditions). Validity refers to the accuracy of a measure (whether the results really do represent what they are supposed to measure).
What is the difference between construct validity and criterion validity?While construct validity is the degree to which a test or other measurement method measures what it claims to measure, criterion validity is the degree to which a test can predictively (in the future) or concurrently (in the present) measure something.
What is the validity of a measure?Validity refers to how accurately a method measures what it is intended to measure. If research has high validity, that means it produces results that correspond to real properties, characteristics, and variations in the physical or social world. High reliability is one indicator that a measurement is valid.
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