Week 2: Validity

While reliability of a test is important for decision making purposes, validity is considered to be the most essential feature of a test because it is the best way to assess whether a test actually measures what it claims to measure. Thus, validity allows us to determine whether our results are in fact correct and true.

Using the construct of interest you selected for your Week 1 Assignment and final Test Development Proposal, conduct a search through the the University of Arizona Global Campus Library to locate an article or study that discusses the validity (content, criterion, and or construct validity) of an instrument that has been used to measure that construct. For example, if depression is your construct, an article or study discussing the Beck Depression Inventory’s validity would be appropriate. Examine the instrument’s validity and determine if the instrument appears to measure the construct it is assessing. What are some of the strengths and limitations of using this instrument for this particular construct of interest? Examine some alternative ways to increase the validity of the instrument.

Tutorial for Validity