Ch 4 - Validity

Question 1

Simply stated, Validity is …

Answer 1

a measure of an assessment’s accuracy

- how accurately an instrument/assessment evaluates the trait/variable it was designed to assess

Question 2

Validity definition =

Answer 2

the degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of test scores entailed by proposed uses of tests
(are the inferences made from the test meaningful, appropriate, and useful to the counselor administering the test?)

Question 3

Does validity measure the instrument (test/assessment)?

Answer 3

No it measures the application of these instruments and how the results they produce can be interpreted

Question 4

Is the measure of validity absolute?

Answer 4

No it is contextually specific and may change across populations/cultures

Question 5

In what terms is validity often expressed?

Answer 5

by magnitude or the degree to which validity is present

ie - low, moderate, high - modifiers

Question 6

Validity speaks to the ____ of data

Answer 6

truthfulness (more valid data allows counselor to provide more effective services)

Question 7

Using valid assessments allows counselors to do what two things?

Answer 7

1. more accurately diagnose client presenting problems

2. formulate more well-informed treatment plans

Question 8

How does validity advance the field of counseling at a macro-level?

Answer 8

1. demonstrates services counselors offer are as effective as other controlled outcome studies
2. fosters consumer confidence

Question 9

What is the relationship between validity and reliability?

Answer 9

For an assessment to be considered valid, it first must be proved to be reliable.
(reliability is generally viewed as a necessary but not sufficient condition for validity)

Question 10

What 6 aspects does the Unified Validity Theory assess?

Answer 10

1. Content
2. Substantive
3. Structural
4. Generalizability
5. External
6. Consequential

Question 11

Content aspect of validity assess…

Answer 11

the relevance, representativeness, and technical quality of an assessment instrument

Question 12

Substantive aspect of validity assesses….

Answer 12

the theoretical rationale for the observed consistencies in responses to assessment items

Question 13

Structural aspect of validity assesses…

Answer 13

whether the internal structure of the assessment instrument is consistent with what is known about the internal structure of the construct domain being assessed

Question 14

Generalizability aspect of validity assesses…

Answer 14

the ability of assessment information to generalize within a population and across other populations

Question 15

External aspect of validity assesses…

Answer 15

both convergent and discriminant evidence of validity

Question 16

Consequential aspect of validity assesses…

Answer 16

the actual and potential consequences of using an assessment instrument

Question 17

What are the three primary types of validity?

Answer 17

Content, Criterion and Construct

Question 18

What is Content validity?

Answer 18

refers to the ability of an instrument to fully assess or measure a construct of interest

Question 19

When is an instrument content valid?

Answer 19

When its questions or items sufficiently sample from the entire universe of items for which the instrument was designed to sample

Question 20

What is the first step of content validation?

Answer 20

to make sure a well-established construct is being used

Question 21

what is the second step of content validation?

Answer 21

Identify the domains or subcategories of the construct

Question 22

What is face validity?

Answer 22

assess whether an instrument appears to look like it measures what it is meant to measure

Question 23

Can face validity be empirically measured?

Answer 23

No. No longer included in “the Standards”

Question 24

What is criterion-related validity?

Answer 24

it assesses whether a test reflects a certain set of abilities

Question 25

how is criterion-related validity measured?

Answer 25

test score are compared to a known standard or outcome measure.

Question 26

What is criterion?

Answer 26

the standard or outcome measure is a criterion.

Question 27

When is criterion-related validity used?

Answer 27

to understand the degree to which an assessment instrument predicts a specific outcome measure of a criterion (SATs = test & GPA = criterion)

Question 28

What are the two approaches to obtaining validity evidence?

Answer 28

Concurrent validity and predictive validity

Question 29

What is concurrent validity?

Answer 29

Concurrent validity is assessed when the test score and criterion performance measure are collected at approximately the same time (ie - Beck Depression Inventory (the test) and Criteria for Major Depressive Episode (criterion)

Question 30

What is predictive validity?

Answer 30

Predictive validity is assessed when the criterion will take place at some point in the future, after test scores have been collected (SAT & college GPA)

Question 31

4 characteristics of a sound criterion

Answer 31

1. relevant and useful
2. reliable
3. free from bias
4. immune from contamination

Question 32

What is construct validity?

Answer 32

Construct validity is the extent to which a test may be said to accurately and thoroughly measure a particular construct or trait (love, wisdom, anxiety…)

Question 33

Define construct:

Answer 33

an abstraction that cannot be seen directly but is valued because it helps organize the myriad of potential observations in the real world

Question 34

What are the two conditions of construct validity?

Answer 34

1. construct refers to an existing phenomenon, independent of how it is measure
2. phenomenon causes response variation both in the real world and in the phenomenon’s measures

Question 35

Define validity coefficient

Answer 35

a measure of how accurate a measure actually is

Question 36

the validity coefficient computer should be at least ____ _____.

Answer 36

statistically significant

Question 37

what are the guidelines for interpreting validity coefficients? (number ranges)

Answer 37

very high = > .50
high = .40 - .49
moderate = .21 - .39
low = < .20