Validity

Question 1

An index, usually expressed as a proportion, of the extent to which a particular trait, behavior, characteristic, or attribute exists in a population

Answer 1

Base rate

Question 2

As applied to tests, a factor inherent within a test that systematically prevents accurate, impartial measurement

Answer 2

Bias

Question 3

A type of rating error wherein the rater exhibits a general reluctance to issue ratings at either the positive or negative extreme, and so all or most ratings cluster in the middle of the rating continuum

Answer 3

Central tendency error

Question 4

A form of criterion-related validity that is an index of the degree to which a test score is related to some criterion measure obtained at the same time (concurrently)

Answer 4

Concurrent validity

Question 5

A class of mathematical procedures employed when a factor structure that has been explicitly hypothesized is tested for its fit with the observed relationships between the variables

Answer 5

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)

Question 6

An informed, scientific idea developed or generated to describe or explain behavior; some examples of constructs include “intelligence,” “personality,” “anxiety,” and “job satisfaction”

Answer 6

Construct

Question 7

A judgment about the appropriateness of inferences drawn from test scores regarding individual standings on a variable called a construct

Answer 7

Construct validity

Question 8

A judgment regarding how adequately a test or other tool of measurement samples behavior representative of the universe of behavior it was designed to sample

Answer 8

Content validity

Question 9

With reference to construct validity, data from other measurement instruments designed to measure the same or a similar construct as the test being construct-validated, which all point to the same judgment or conclusion with regard to a test or other tool of measurement; contrast with discriminant evidence

Answer 9

Convergent evidence

Question 10

The standard against which a test or a test score is evaluated; this standard may take many forms, including a specific behavior or set of behaviors

Answer 10

Criterion

Question 11

A state in which a criterion measure is itself based, in whole or in part, on a predictor measure

Answer 11

Criterion contamination

Question 12

A judgment regarding how adequately a score or index on a test or other tool of measurement can be used to infer an individual’s most probable standing on some measure of interest (the criterion)

Answer 12

Criterion-related validity

Question 13

With reference to construct validity, data from a test or other measurement instrument showing little relationship between test scores or other variables with which the scores on the test being construct-validated should not theoretically be correlated; contrast with convergent evidence

Answer 13

Discriminant evidence

Question 14

Graphic representation of an expectancy table

Answer 14

Expectancy chart

Question 15

A class of mathematical procedures employed to estimate factors, extract factors, or decide how many factors to retain

Answer 15

Exploratory factor analysis

Question 16

A judgment regarding how well a test or other tool of measurement measures what it purports to measure, based solely on “appearances” such as the content of the test’s items

Answer 16

Face validity

Question 17

A class of mathematical procedures, frequently employed as data reduction methods, designed to identify variables on which people may differ (or factors).

Answer 17

Factor analysis

Question 18

In factor analysis, a metaphor suggesting that test (or an individual test item) carries a certain amount of one or more abilities which, in turn, has a determining influence on the test score (or on the response to the individual test item). Unlike other metaphors, however, it can be quantified.

Answer 18

Factor loading

Question 19

As applied to tests, the ex-tent to which a test is used in an impartial, just, and equitable way

Answer 19

Fairness

Question 20

(1) In the general context of the miss rate of a test, an inaccurate prediction of classification indicating that a test taker did not possess a trait or other attribute being measured when in reality the test taker did; (2) in drug testing, an individual tests negative for drug use when in reality there has been drug use

Answer 20

False negative

Question 21

(1) In the general context of the miss rate of a test, an inaccurate prediction or classification indicating that a test taker did possess a trait or other attribute being measured when in reality the test taker did not; (2) in drug testing, an individual tests positive for drug use when in reality there has been no drug use

Answer 21

False positive

Question 22

Less than accurate rating or evaluation by a rater due to that rater’s general tendency to be lenient or insufficiently critical; also referred to as leniency error; contrast with severity error

Answer 22

Generosity error

Question 23

A type of rating error wherein the rater views the object of the rating with extreme favor and tends to bestow ratings inflated in a positive direction; a set of circumstances resulting in a rater’s tendency to be positively disposed and insufficiently critical

Answer 23

Halo effect

Question 24

The proportion of people a test or other measurement procedure accurately identifies as possessing or exhibiting a particular trait, behavior, characteristic, or attribute; contrast with miss rate,false positive, and false negative

Answer 24

Hit rate

Question 25

Used in conjunction with predictive validity, an index of the explanatory power of additional predictors over and above the predictors already in use

Answer 25

Incremental validity

Question 26

A logical result or a deduction in a reasoning process

Answer 26

Inference

Question 27

Refers to the point at which a regression line intercepts the Y-axis; refers to a test or measurement procedure systematically underpredicting or overpredicting the performance of members of a group; contrast with slope bias

Answer 27

Intercept bias

Question 28

Also referred to as a generosity error, a rating error that occurs as the result of a rater’s tendency to be too forgiving and insufficiently critical

Answer 28

Leniency error

Question 29

The process of gathering evidence relevant to how well a test measures what it purports to measure, for the purpose of evaluating the validity of a test or other measurement tool, typically undertaken in conjunction with a population different from the population for whom the test was originally validated

Answer 29

Local validation study

Question 30

A procedure for gathering construct validity evidence that entails demonstrating that scores on the test vary in a predictable way as a function of membership in a particular group

Answer 30

Method of contrasted groups

Question 31

The proportion of people a test or other measurement procedure fails to identify accurately with respect to the possession or exhibition of a trait, behavior, characteristic, or attribute; a “miss” in this context is an inaccurate classification or prediction; may be subdivided into false positives and false negatives

Answer 31

Miss rate

Question 32

A method of evaluating construct validity by simultaneously examining both convergent and divergent evidence by means of a table of correlations between traits and methods

Answer 32

Multitrait-multimethod matrix

Question 33

A form of criterion-related validity that is an index of the degree to which a test score predicts some criterion measure

Answer 33

Predictive validity

Question 34

The ordinal ordering of persons, scores, or variables into relative positions or degrees of value

Answer 34

Ranking

Question 35

A numerical or verbal judgment that places a person or attribute along a continuum identified by a scale of numerical or word descriptors called a rating scale

Answer 35

Rating

Question 36

A judgment that results from the intentional or unintentional misuse of a rating scale; two types of rating error are leniency error (or generosity error) and severity error

Answer 36

Rating error

Question 37

Less than accurate rating or error in evaluation due to the rater’s tendency to be overly critical; contrast with generosity error

Answer 37

Severity error

Question 38

A reference to the slope of a regression line being different between groups, this term refers to a test or measurement procedure systematically yielding different validity coefficients for members of different groups; contrast with intercept bias

Answer 38

Slope bias

Question 39

The extent to which individual test items measure a single construct; contrast with test heterogeneity

Answer 39

Test homogeneity

Question 40

The process of gathering and evaluating validity evidence

Answer 40

Validation

Question 41

Research that entails gathering evidence relevant to how well a test measures what it purports to measure for the purpose of evaluating the validity of a test or other measurement tool

Answer 41

Validation study

Question 42

A general term referring to a judgment regarding how well a test or other measurement tool measures what it purports to measure; this judgment has important implications regarding the appropriateness of inferences made and actions taken on the basis of measurements

Answer 42

Validity

Question 43

A correlation coefficient that provides a measure of the relationship between test scores and scores on a criterion measure

Answer 43

Validity coefficient