Definitions
Validity
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          Validity


All definitions
Validity refers to whether a test or instrument (such as an employee survey) really does measure what it was created to measure (Cooligan, 2004).

Various kinds of validity are:
  • Face validity: Whether it's obvious to the test-taker (or survey-taker) what the test is intended to measure. 
  • Content validity: Whether a test is sufficiently representative of what it is intended to measure.
  • Construct validity: Whether the power of the construct is demonstrated by "a network of research findings to explain and predict further relationships" (Coolican, 2004, p. 194). 
  • Criterion validity: Whether test scores successfully relate "to other known data in ways that could be predicted" (Coolican, 2004, p. 194.) Predictive validity and concurrent validity are versions of criterion validity (Coolican, 2004) as are convergent and discriminant validity (Spector, 2002). 
  • Predictive validity: A type of criterion validity, "predictive validity" refers to whether a new test is validated by comparison to an existing test that measures the same thing (Cooligan, 2004). 
  • Concurrent validity: Also a type of criterion validity, "concurrent validity" refers to whether evidence is found for predictions that can be made based on the results of the new test/instrument (Coolican, 2004).
  • Convergent validity: "..different measures of the same construct will correlate strongly with one another" (Spector, 2002, p. 50). Convergent validity is a type of criterion-related validity.
  • Discriminant validity: "... different measures of different constructs"... "related only modestly to one another." (Spector, 2002, p. 50). Discriminant validity is a type of criterion-related validity.

Related terms
References
Coolican, H. (2004). Questionnaires: Using psychological scales and tests in research. Chapter 7 in Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

Spector, P. (1992). Summated rating scale construction: An introduction. Newbury Park, London, New Dehli: Sage.
Read a practice exam essay in response to the question:

"It is often said that traditional research methods in the field of work and well-being have limited our understanding. Evaluate this position with reference to theory and research."

Exam essay practice answer