In Module 5 of our 10-week, Free Online Psychometric Testing Course, we look at Psychometric Test Validity. Validity tells us whether our test actually does what it is supposed to do. There are multiple types of validity and we shall discuss these. Learn how to evaluate the validity of psychometric tests in our free psychometrics training course. This Module will be released on 4 November, 2015 to those registered for our Psychometrics MOOC. Below is an outline of what is to be covered.
Summary of Module 5: Validity of psychometric tests
Now that we understand quite a lot about test reliability, it is time to consider what is arguably the most important technical property of psychometric tests – validity. This refers to whether a test is fit for purpose. There are multiple ways to assess this and so we shall consider these various types of validity and how to assess and evaluate them.
In the reliability Module, we looked at some test manuals to find supporting data for the reliability of the test. In this validity Module, we will do the same thing for validity. We will look in particular for the types of validity that can be reported using numbers and we will teach you what numbers to look out for. Assessing validity is a little more detailed than with reliability and we’ll show you how in our practical demonstration.
By the end of this Module (and having completed the previous Modules), you will be armed with the information you need to review a publisher’s test manual properly and to make informed choices about psychometric tests. You will probably also be in a position to “trip up” some of the less scrupulous test providers who may well have less understanding than you do of the technical properties of psychometric tests!
Learning Outcomes for Module 5
– Understand the difference between reliability and validity (again!).
– Understand why knowing about a test’s validity is crucial in your decision to use that test .
– Understand the major types of validity (face, content, construct, criterion).
– Understand how each type of validity is assessed.
– Understand the impact that poor validity has on the final outcome.
– Know where to look in the test manual for validity data.
– Know how to evaluate validity data in test manuals.
Next Module in our Psychometrics MOOC
In our next post, we will cover Module 6: Psychometric Test Administration
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