Construct validity concerns whether a measure and the inferences drawn from it genuinely represent the concept they are intended to assess. Because many important concepts cannot be observed directly, researchers need theory and evidence to show that their measurements behave as expected.
A construct is an abstract concept created to organize and explain observations, such as intelligence, happiness, or anxiety. A construct is not directly observable; researchers instead measure indicators that are expected to reflect it. For example, a researcher might use responses to several questionnaire items as indicators of anxiety.
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Construct validity
The degree to which evidence and reasoning support interpreting a measure as representing its intended construct.
Latent variable
A characteristic that cannot be observed directly and is inferred from observable indicators.
Why does construct validity depend on theory?
Theory defines the construct, guides indicator selection, and predicts how scores should relate to other variables.
What three steps did Meehl and Cronbach propose?
State theoretical concepts and their relations, develop measures, and test predicted relationships empirically.
What is a nomological network?
A map of constructs, their indicators, and their theoretically expected relationships.
Quiz questions
What is a construct in measurement research?Answer: An abstract concept used to organize and explain observations.
Why does a test score alone not establish that a measure assesses its claimed construct?Answer: The score's meaning and the inferences drawn from it require supporting evidence.
Which sequence matches Meehl and Cronbach's proposed approach to construct validation?Answer: Specify theoretical concepts and relations, develop measures, then test predicted relations.
When researchers remove items during scale purification, what should guide their decision?Answer: Statistical evidence together with informed judgment about what the scale represents.
How can double-blind procedures help reduce threats to construct validity?Answer: They can limit evaluator expectations from influencing assessments.
Based on the Wikipedia article Construct validity, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.