Define construct validity and provide an example.

Define construct validity and provide an example.

• A. The extent to which a test measures the theoretical construct it claims to measure; for example, an anxiety scale should correlate with other established anxiety measures.
• B. The internal consistency of items.
• C. The test's ability to predict future outcomes.
• D. The test's reliability across raters.

Answer: (A)

Construct validity is about whether the test actually measures the theoretical construct it is intended to measure. The best choice captures this by stating that the test should measure the construct it claims to measure, and the example—an anxiety scale correlating with other established anxiety measures—demonstrates that the test behaves as expected within the theory of anxiety. That correlation with similar established measures shows convergence, a central part of validating that the instrument taps the intended construct. Other options describe reliability or different forms of validity. Internal consistency assesses how well the test items hang together, inter-rater reliability looks at agreement between judges, and predictive validity concerns forecasting future outcomes. While important, these do not define construct validity itself.

Construct validity is about whether the test actually measures the theoretical construct it is intended to measure. The best choice captures this by stating that the test should measure the construct it claims to measure, and the example—an anxiety scale correlating with other established anxiety measures—demonstrates that the test behaves as expected within the theory of anxiety. That correlation with similar established measures shows convergence, a central part of validating that the instrument taps the intended construct.

Other options describe reliability or different forms of validity. Internal consistency assesses how well the test items hang together, inter-rater reliability looks at agreement between judges, and predictive validity concerns forecasting future outcomes. While important, these do not define construct validity itself.