Measurement validity is important because it increases the generalizability of a study by helping researchers pick the appropriate tests needed to establish real relationships between particular variables. Are you a student or a teacher? Become a Study.com member and start learning now. Already a member? Log In
Criterion validity is the degree to which a test can predict a target outcome, or criterion variable, related to the construct of interest. In other words, it is a way that researchers infer what someone might do in the future based on current behavior. Criterion validity can be broken up into two types of validity:
The design of an experiment involves two types of measurement validity: external validity and internal validity. External validity is the extent to which the findings of an experiment can be generalized to people and contexts outside of a particular experiment.
A measurement is reliable when it produces consist scores, while measurement validity is the degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure. A test can be reliable, but it may not measure the particular construct that a researcher sets out to investigate.
Measurement validity refers to the extent to which a scale measures a specific idea or concept. A psychologist who wants to measure intelligence should ensure that the scale does not measure a similar but different concept. For example, a valid test of memory is not considered a valid test of intelligence. Think about an archer shooting arrows at different targets. A reliable archer can hit the same target with several shots. However, hitting the correct target reliably is what archers strive to do. Likewise, having tests that are both reliable and valid is required for research.
Measurement validity is important because it increases the generalizability of a study by helping researchers pick the appropriate tests needed to establish real relationships between particular variables.
External validity is the degree to which an experimental result can be generalized to other conditions, people, and contexts. Internal validity is the degree to which a causal claim accurately represents the relationship between different variables rather than being attributable to alternative explanations.
The design of an experiment involves two types of measurement validity: external validity and internal validity.
There are two forms of measurement validity:
An invalid test procedure decreases the generalizability of results because the researcher, in this case, may not have measured what they set out to measure.
Reliability - This occurs when a measurement or scale produces consistent data across multiple uses.