Experiments that lack construct validity are likely to lead to wrong conclusions. Therefore, construct validity evaluates the quality of the experimental design. Well-designed experiments should convert theoretical ideas into tangible, measurable things. Construct ValidityĬonstruct validity is described as a measure of hypothetical concepts of cause and effect that truthfully correspond to the real-life scenarios they are meant to show (Gumley, Taylor, Schwannauer, & MacBeth, 2014).

When using questions to obtain specific data from respondents in a study, a question with high content validity should elicit answers that directly address the research question. Content validity is related to the design of an experiment. For example, considering specific age groups or subjects possessing specific characteristics. Additionally, the correct target groups should be used in research. For example, the sample size should be statistically representative of the population.

It considers factors such as measuring the correct things using an appropriate number of samples. Content ValidityĬontent validity determines the degree to which a measure encompasses the concept under investigation (Macdonald, 2015). For these reasons, many well-known measures in social sciences work well even though they do not have face validity. It is not a strong indicator that a measure is performing as intended because it is influenced by human behavior and intuition, which is not always right. In most cases, face validity is determined informally. In contrast, attributes such as the length of toes appear irrelevant in matters to do with self-esteem, resulting in poor face validity. Consequently, a questionnaire containing such questions is likely to have good face validity. For example, it is expected that qualitative research on self-esteem should include questions about the interviewee’s perception of their self-worth. It determines whether the project is good or bad by examining the measures used to conclude the project.

Learn more Types of Validity Face Validityįace validity is a measure of the authenticity of a research undertaking at face value.

Example of reliability in research