Week 3

Study Notes

Validity refers to the accuracy of a test in measuring what it intends to measure.
Several types of validity exist: face, content, criterion, and construct validity.

Face Validity:
- Assesses if a test appears to measure what it should based on subjective perception.
- Influenced by participant rapport and cooperation, affecting test seriousness.
Content Validity:
- Evaluates whether test items adequately represent the area of measurement.
- Involves content representativeness and relevance, necessitating expert input.
- Evaluated through subjective expert judgment and empirical methods, like factor analysis.
Criterion Validity:
- Determines correlation with another validated test in similar areas.
- Types include:
  - Predictive Validity: Evaluates future predictions.
  - Concurrent Validity: Assesses present correlations.
- Assessed using Pearson or Spearman correlation methods.
Construct Validity:
- Examines how accurately a test reflects theoretical constructs or frameworks.
- Types include:
  - Convergent Validity: Correlation with expected variables.
  - Discriminant Validity: Lack of correlation with unrelated variables.
- Methods to assess include correlation, factor analysis, and internal consistency.

Bandwidth Fidelity:
- Bandwidth refers to the range of applicability of a test (broad vs. narrow).
- Fidelity indicates the thoroughness of the test; increased bandwidth can reduce fidelity.
Sample Considerations:
- Group homogeneity impacts correlation; more homogeneity can lead to reduced correlation.
- Cross-cultural validity ensures findings are stable and applicable across diverse cultures.

Validity relies on correlation, but no definitive score indicates "good" validity.
Variance (correlation coefficient squared) helps understand variations explained by the test versus other factors.
Regression equations and expectancy tables may be used for predicting relationships between tests.