Construct Validity

Question 1

What is construct validity?

Answer 1

• Confidence in causal relationships between underlying constructs
• What kind of research is CV applicapble to: Measurment research, factor analysis
• OPERATION - CONSTRUCT
• Making inferences from sampling particulars of a study to higher-order constructs
• Examples of higher order constructs:
- Cause: social support intervention
- Effect: intelligence
- Person: underprivileged
- Setting: rural

Question 2

What are the threats to construct validity?

Answer 2

• Inadequate/ Lack of preparation and construct (preoperational construct
• Mono-operation bias
• Mono-method bias
• Confounding constructs with level of constructs:
• Treatment sensitive factorial structure:
• Reactive self report
• Reactivity to experimental situation:
• Experimenter expectancies
• Novelty and disruption effects
• A diffusion or imitation of treatment
• Compensatory equalization
• Compensatory rivalry
• Resentful demoralization

Question 3

What is the threat of inadequate/ Lack of preparation and construct (preoperational construct)?

Answer 3

Not properly defining your constructs due to lack of understanding and preparation; make sure to do your homework

Question 4

What is the threat of mono-operation bias?

Answer 4

need multiple operationalism. Helps to have variations on IV and multiple DV, etc

Question 5

What is the threat of mono-method bias?

Answer 5

operation (manner of delivery) and construct (content) can be confounded.

Question 6

What is the threat of confounding construct with level of constructs?

Answer 6

treatment does not work because of wrong dosage

Question 7

What is the threat of treatment sensitive factorial structure?

Answer 7

structure of measure may change with treatments

Question 8

What is the threat of reactive self-report?

Answer 8

Self report changes after selection to treatment; self-report can be affected by participant motivation to be in a treatment condition, motivation that can change after assignment is made

Question 9

What is the threat of reactivity to experimental situation?

Answer 9

Participant responses reflect not just treatments and measures but also participants’ perceptions of the experimental situation, and those perceptions are part of the treatment construct actually tested

Question 10

What is the threat of experimenter expectencies?

Answer 10

Experimenter conveys or gets what s/he expects

Question 11

What is the threat of novelty and disruption effects?

Answer 11

Participants may respond unusually well to a novel innovation or unusually poorly to one that disrupts their routine, a response that must then be included as part of the treatment construct description

Question 12

What is the threat of diffusion or imitation of treatment?

Answer 12

Participants may receive services from a condition to which they were not assigned, making construct descriptions of both conditions more difficult

Question 13

What is the threat of compensatory equalization?

Answer 13

When treatment provides desirable goods or services, administrators, staff, or constituents may provide compensatory goods or services to those not receiving treatment, and this action must then be included as part of the construct description

Question 14

What is the threat of compensatory rivalry?

Answer 14

Participants not receiving treatment may be motivated to show they can do as well as those receiving treatment, and this compensatory rivalry must then be included as part of the treatment construct description

Question 15

What is the threat of resentful demoralization?

Answer 15

Participants not receiving a desirable treatment may be so resentful or demoralized that they may respond more negatively than otherwise, and this resentful demoralization must then be included as part of the treatment construct description