Criterion validity

Criterion validity is a type of validity used to determine the accuracy of a measure or test. It is often used in psychology, education, and other social and health sciences. Criterion validity is determined by comparing the results of the measure or test to another measure or test (the criterion) that has been proven to be valid.

Types of Criterion Validity

There are two types of criterion validity: concurrent and predictive.

Concurrent Validity

Concurrent validity refers to the degree to which the measure correlates with a criterion measure taken at the same time. For example, if a new test is developed to measure depression, concurrent validity would be assessed by comparing the results of the new test with the results of a well-established depression test.

Predictive Validity

Predictive validity refers to the degree to which a measure can predict future outcomes. For example, the SAT test is supposed to have predictive validity for predicting college success.

Assessing Criterion Validity

Criterion validity is assessed using correlation coefficients. The closer the correlation coefficient is to 1.0, the stronger the validity. A correlation coefficient of 0 indicates no relationship between the measure and the criterion, while a correlation coefficient of 1.0 indicates a perfect relationship.

Limitations of Criterion Validity

One limitation of criterion validity is that it requires a criterion that is universally accepted as valid. This can be difficult in fields where there is disagreement about what constitutes a valid measure. Additionally, criterion validity does not provide information about the measure's construct validity, or the degree to which the measure accurately represents the concept it is intended to measure.

See Also

• Construct validity
• Content validity
• Face validity
• Test validity