2.

2 Validity : definition ,types and importance

Validity, is a judgment or estimate of how well a test measures what it purports to measure in a
particular context. More specifically, it is a judgment based on evidence about the
appropriateness of inferences drawn from test scores. Characterizations of the validity of tests
and test scores are frequently phrased in terms such as “acceptable” or “weak.” These terms
reflect a judgment about how adequately the test measures what it purports to measure.

An inference is a logical result or deduction.

Validation is the process of gathering and evaluating evidence about validity. Both the test
developer and the test user may play a role in the validation of a test for a specific purpose. It is
the test developer’s responsibility to supply validity evidence in the test manual.

It may sometimes be appropriate for test users to conduct their own validation studies with
their own groups of test takers. Such local validation studies may yield insights regarding a
particular population of test takers as compared to the norming sample described in a test
manual.

Local validation studies are absolutely necessary when the test user plans to alter in some
way the format, instructions, language, or content of the test.

One way measurement specialists have traditionally conceptualized validity is according

to three categories:
1. Content validity This is a measure of validity based on an evaluation of the subjects,
topics, or content covered by the items in the test.
2. Criterion-related validity This is a measure of validity obtained by evaluating the
relationship of scores obtained on the test to scores on other tests or measures
3. Construct validity. This is a measure of validity that is arrived at by executing a
comprehensive analysis of
a. how scores on the test relate to other test scores and measures, and
b. how scores on the test can be understood within some theoretical framework for
understanding the construct that the test was designed to measure.

Types of validity
1. Face validity
2. Content validity
3. Criterion related validity
4. Construct validity

1. Face validity
● Face validity relates more to what a test appears to measure to the person being tested
than to what the test actually measures. Face validity is a judgment concerning how
relevant the test items appear to be.
● For example, A paper-and-pencil personality test labeled the Introversion/Extraversion
Test, with items that ask respondents whether they have acted in an introverted or an
extraverted way in particular situations, may be perceived by respondents as a highly
face-valid test. On the other hand, a personality test in which respondents are asked to
report what they see in inkblots may be perceived as a test with low face validity. Many
respondents would be left wondering how what they said they saw in the inkblots really
had anything at all to do with personality.
● A test’s lack of face validity could contribute to a lack of confidence in the perceived
effectiveness of the test—with a consequential decrease in the test taker's cooperation
or motivation to do his or her best.
● In reality, a test that lacks face validity may still be relevant and useful. However, if the
test is not perceived as relevant and useful by test takers, parents, legislators, and
others, then negative consequences may result. These consequences may range from
poor test taker attitude to lawsuits filed by disgruntled parties against a test user and test
publisher.

2. Content validity
● Content validity describes a judgment of how adequately a test samples behavior
representative of the universe of behavior that the test was designed to sample.
● Ideally, test developers have a clear vision of the construct being measured, and the
clarity of this vision can be reflected in the content validity of the test. In the interest of
ensuring content validity, test developers strive to include key components of the
construct targeted for measurement, and exclude content irrelevant to the construct
targeted for measurement.
● With respect to educational achievement tests, it is customary to consider a test a
content-valid measure when the proportion of material covered by the test approximates
the proportion of material covered in the course.
● For example, a cumulative final exam in introductory statistics would be considered
content-valid if the proportion and type of introductory statistics problems on the test
approximates the proportion and type of introductory statistics problems presented in the
course.
● Test blueprint are a plan regarding the types of information to be covered by the items,
the number of items tapping each area of coverage, the organization of the items in the
test, and so forth.
● In many instances the test blueprint represents the culmination of efforts to adequately
sample the universe of content areas that conceivably could be sampled in such a test.

3. Criterion related validity

● Criterion is the standard against which a test or a test score is evaluated. So, for
example, if a test purports to measure the trait of athleticism, we might expect to employ
“membership in a health club” or any generally accepted measure of physical fitness as
a criterion in evaluating whether the athleticism test truly measures athleticism.
● Criterion-related validity is a judgment of how adequately a test score can be used to
infer an individual’s most probable standing on some measure of interest—the measure
of interest being the criterion.
● Two types of validity evidence : Concurrent validity and predictive validity.
a. Concurrent validity
● It is an index of the degree to which a test score is related to some criterion measure
obtained at the same time (concurrently).
● Statements of concurrent validity indicate the extent to which test scores may be used to
estimate an individual’s present standing on a criterion.
● For example, scores (or classifications) made on the basis of a psychodiagnostic test
were to be validated against a criterion of already diagnosed psychiatric patients, then
the process would be one of concurrent validation. In general, once the validity of the
inference from the test scores is established, the test may provide a faster, less
expensive way to offer a diagnosis or a classification decision.
● A test with satisfactorily demonstrated concurrent validity may therefore be appealing to
prospective users because it holds out the potential of savings of money and
professional time.
b. Predictive validity
● It is an index of the degree to which a test score predicts some criterion measure
obtained at a future time, usually after some intervening event has taken place. The
intervening event may take varied forms, such as training, experience, therapy,
medication, or simply the passage of time.
● When evaluating the predictive validity of a test, researchers must take into
consideration
➔ A base rate is the extent to which a particular trait, behavior, characteristic, or attribute
exists in the population (expressed as a proportion).
➔ In psychometric parlance, a hit rate may be defined as the proportion of people a test
accurately identifies as possessing or exhibiting a particular trait, behavior, characteristic,
or attribute.
➔ Miss rate may be defined as the proportion of people the test fails to identify as having,
or not having, a particular characteristic or attribute.
➔ The category of misses may be further subdivided. A false positive is a miss wherein
the test predicted that the testtaker did possess the particular characteristic or attribute
being measured when in fact the test taker did not. A false negative is a miss wherein
the test predicted that the testtaker did not possess the particular characteristic or
attribute being measured when the test taker actually did.
➔ The validity coefficient is a correlation coefficient that provides a measure of the
relationship between test scores and scores on the criterion measure. The correlation
coefficient computed from a score (or classification) on a psychodiagnostic test and the
criterion score (or classification) assigned by psycho diagnosticians.
➔ Incremental validity, defined here as the degree to which an additional predictor explains
➔ something about the criterion measure that is not explained by predictors already in use.
➔ Incremental validity may be used when predicting something like academic success in
college.
4. Construct validity
● It is a judgment about the appropriateness of inferences drawn from test scores
regarding individual standings on a variable called a construct.
● A construct is an informed, scientific idea developed or hypothesized to describe or
explain [Link] researcher investigating a test’s construct validity must formulate
hypotheses about the expected behavior of high scorers and low scorers on the test.
● Intelligence is a construct that may be invoked to describe why a student performs well
in school. Other examples of constructs are job satisfaction, personality, bigotry, clerical
aptitude, depression etc.
● These hypotheses give rise to a tentative theory about the nature of the construct the
test was designed to measure.
● If the test is a valid measure of the construct, then high scorers and low scorers will
behave as predicted by the theory.
● If high scorers and low scorers on the test do not behave as predicted, the investigator
will need to reexamine the nature of the construct itself or hypotheses made about it.