Intergenerational Validity
The problem of intergenerational validity is similar in many re-
spects to that of cultural validity. The theory may be valid, but the
instruments may not be. To validate the theory will require gener-
ation-equivalent measures. Even if language were not a problem,
the question of measurement equivalence will be. It might be pos-
sible to select items with equivalent psychometric characteristics
across generation groups, but this would require an extremely large
item pool to begin with. But then such instruments would bias the
test of the theory because equivalence has been built in. Thus we
have another chicken-egg problem.
The question of theory validation is a tricky one. In principle, it
is possible through item selection to select items that favor the the-
ory, using a back-solution or post hoc strategy. If on cross-validation
the items hold up, the theory is favored. If they don’t, the fault is in
the item selection. With either outcome, the theory “wins”—but
this is circular reasoning.
As stated in the measurement section, PEC theory can be op-
erationalized with instruments other than those used in the Work
Adjustment Project. Indeed, testing PEC theory will be more cred-
ible if other instruments are used. At our present state of instru-
mentation technology, theory testing is at best a fuzzy procedure
with fuzzy results. Most instruments are constructed according to
the dictates of some theory, and then we turn around and test the
theory with those same instruments. Until our instruments are
much more “theory-free” (as, for example, I believe ability tests
are), all our theory testing will be not much more than going
around in circles.
Application of PEC Theory to Two Cases
In discussing the application of PEC theory to the two cases, counsel-
ing process issues will be set aside and the focus will be on counseling
PERSON-ENVIRONMENT-CORRESPONDENCE THEORY 459