Validity
“How do I KNOW the tests you are offering to my company are measuring what you say
they are measuring?”
University of North Texas Doctoral-Level researchers conducted Validation Studies
on Personality Plus®, The Insure Survey®, and the Johnston Index® using Construct
and Concurrent Validation procedures.
Are Validation Studies important?
YES. Not only important, but MANDATORY. Validity, when referring to assessments
(tests), is defined as the degree to which the assessment (test) measures what it
is supposed to measure.
Some test publishers will tell you to just administer the assessment (test) to current
employees and use the resulting data as your Validity Study for pre-employment purposes.
Although this type of study CAN ADD credibility to a professionally conducted study,
it is not recognized as a legitimate way to REPLACE such a study which could include
hundreds (or thousands) of individuals. The publishers who inform you that all you
have to do is administer the test to your current employees are probably doing so
because professionally conducted studies usually costs hundreds of thousands of
dollars, are time-consuming, and difficult research projects requiring professional
expertise. More then likely, they are covering up the fact that they have not conducted
such a study. Professionally conducted Validity Studies are essential if test scores
are to be accurately used and interpreted for pre-employment purposes. Legitimate
psychometricians (test designers) will provide you with a professionally conducted
VALIDITY STUDY outlining evidence that the test does, in fact, measure what it appears
to measure.