Type Test Description
Content validity: Is the
content representative
of the content domain
under study?Face validity Colleagues or subjects examine an instrument
and are asked whether it appears to measure the
concept.Content
validity testingExperts on the topic are asked to judge each
item on an instrument by assigning a rating to
determine its fit with the concept being measured.
Criterion-related
validity: To what degree
are the “observed score”
and the “true score”
related?Concurrent
validityNew instrument is administered at the same time
as an instrument known to be valid. Scores of the
two instruments are compared. Strong positive
correlations indicate good validity.Predictive New instrument is given at two different times and
scores are correlated. Strong positive correlations
indicate good validity.
Construct validity: To
what extent does the
instrument measure
the theoretical
construct or trait?Hypothesis
testingHypotheses derived from theories are tested with
the new instrument.Convergent New instrument is administered at the same time
as an instrument known to be valid. Scores of the
two instruments are compared. Strong, positive
correlations indicate good validity.
Divergent New instrument is administered at the same
time as an instrument measuring the opposite of
the concept. Scores of the two instruments are
compared. Strong negative correlations indicate
good validity.
Multitrait-
multimethodNew instrument, established instrument of same
concept, and established instrument of opposite
concept are given at the same time. Strong positive
and negative correlations indicate good validity.
Known groups New instrument is administered to individuals
known to be high or low on the characteristic
being measured.
Factor analysis Statistical approach to identify items that group
together.TABLE 10-2
Validity: Does the Instrument Accurately Measure What
It Is Supposed to Measure?10.3 Validity and Reliability 265