Download Measurement Validity PPT

Validity
Internal validity: Are the methods correct
and the results accurate?
 External validity: are the findings
generalizable beyond that particular study?
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Measurement Validity
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validity: the extent to which the method of
measurement reflects the true meaning of a
concept being investigated
– example: Do tests really measure what student learning?
– Example: Do college GPAs accurately predict on the job
success?

content validity: a scale should measure the true
meaning of the concept being studied
– example: GCS (General Contentment Scale) should
measure depression, not self esteem
measurement validity--continued
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face validity (representational validity): whether a
measuring instrument appears to be valid to the persons
completing it.
– example: African Americans take a history test, but all of the
questions were written by Euro-Americans about European history.

concurrent validity (a.k.a convergent validity): Do the
results from one measure correspond with those of related
measures?
– example: scores on a communication anxiety scale should coincide
with scores on a communication apprehension scale
measurement validity--continued
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discriminant validity: a measuring instrument should
not covary with other instruments measuring
different concepts
criterion validity: how well a measure predicts
another established criterion
– example: Do a person’s reported income predict his or her
credit score?
– example: “need for cognition” versus “argumentativeness”

construct validity: a measure should fit well with
other measures of similar theoretical concepts.
– example: scores on a “marital satisfaction” scale should be
negatively related to spouse abuse.
measurement validity--continued

predictive validity: can a measure predict future
behavior?
– example: Does the Suicide Probability Scale accurately
predict which adolescents are likely to attempt suicide?