Chapter 9: Estimating and Evaluating Convergent and Discriminant Validity Evidence

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Why is a construct’s nomological network important in terms of construct validity?

a. It leads test-developers to form hypotheses about the other measures that a test should (and should not) be correlated with, thus guiding the design and evaluation of validity studies b. It tells test-developers which construct would be most appropriate for a pre-specified method of assessment, thus guiding test evaluation c. It tells researchers which “informants” from participants’ social networks would be most likely to provide valid ratings of the participants, guiding the design of validity studies. d. It tells researchers which content/items should be included in a measure, thereby guiding the evaluation of content validity.

Ans: A

Learning Objective: 9-1: Summarize how researchers use their understanding of a construct’s nomological network when examining construct validity.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: A Construct’s Nomological Network

Difficulty Level: Medium a. convergent validity b. discriminant validity c. nomological network d. multitrait-multimethod matrix

2. A construct’s ____________________ is the set of constructs, behaviors, and/or properties that are (theorized to be) associated with a construct. It dictates a particular pattern of associations among measures of those constructs, behaviors, and properties.

Ans: C

Learning Objective: 9-1: Summarize how researchers use their understanding of a construct’s nomological network when examining construct validity.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: A Construct’s Nomological Network

Difficulty Level: Easy

3 When evaluating her new measure of Schizoid PD, Sarah finds that its scores are correlated with clinicians’ diagnoses of an entirely different PD (Obsessive-Compulsive) at r = 80, p < 05 This strong positive correlation would be evidence of: a. poor discriminant validity b. good convergent validity c. good structural validity d. construct bias

Ans: A

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Methods for Evaluating Convergent and Discriminant Validity

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Mayes and Ganster (1983) conducted an MTMM analysis of two methods of measuring four psychological needs:

• Two methods the Manifest Needs Questionnaire (MNQ) and the Personality Research Form (PRF) a. content validity b. convergent validity c. discriminant validity d. predictive validity

• Each method included scales measuring four different psychological needsachievement, autonomy, affiliation, and power (i.e., these are hypothesized to be relatively independent needs).

Below is the key Table from their article. The left-hand part of the table includes the scale labels, along with their means, standard deviations, and alpha values In the righthand part of the table is an MTMM matrix.

From the perspective of an MTMM, the correlations in the “unboxed diagonal” above (i.e., 55, 38, .48, and .74) reflect what?

Ans: B

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Methods for Evaluating Convergent and Discriminant Validity

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. ____________ studies are intended to evaluate the predictive utility of a test’s scores across a range of settings, times, situations, and so on. It is a form of meta-analysis; it combines the results of several smaller individual studies into one large analysis a. nomological network b. multitrait-multimethod matrix c. validity generalization d. focused examinations

Ans: C

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Focused Associations

Difficulty Level: Easy a. convergent validity b. sets of correlations c. multitrait-multimethod matrix d. QCV

6. As part of creating a new self-report measure of self-esteem, the test developer conducts a validity study. She administers her new scale to a sample of respondents, who also complete 10 additional self-report scales. These scales are measures of constructs that she thinks will show varying levels of association with self-esteem some should be positively correlated, some negatively correlated, and some uncorrelated After getting the respondents’ data, she computes the actual correlations between her new scale and all the other scales. She then eyeballs them somewhat *unsystematically* and declares that they provide evidence for the construct validity of her scale. She is using which kind of approach, as discussed in the book?

Ans: B

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Sets of Correlations

Difficulty Level: Medium a. Self-report questionnaires are (believed to be) prone to error from respondents’ response biases. b. The magnitude of a validity correlation is affected by both: a) the actual association between constructs, and b) similarity or difference in the methods by which those constructs are measured. c. The correlation between a test and an important criterion might vary from one sample or context to another. d. If a test developer unsystematically eyeballs a set of convergent and discriminant validity correlations, then she or he might interpret the results in subjective and inaccurate ways.

7. The use of an MTMM matrix is based on which realization?

Ans: B

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Multitrait-Multimethod Matrices

Difficulty Level: Medium a. The correlation between self-esteem scores from two self-report scales b. The correlation between self-esteem scores from a self-report measure of selfesteem, and self-esteem scores from an “informant report” method of measurement c. The correlation between self-esteem scores and extraversion scores, where both are measured by self-report methods d. The correlation between self-esteem scores from a self-report measure of selfesteem, and extraversion scores from an “informant report” method of measurement

8. Based upon the logic of the MTMM matrix, which of the following correlations would you expect to be the largest?

Ans: A

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Multitrait-Multimethod Matrices

Difficulty Level: Medium a. monotrait-monomethod correlation b. monotrait-heteromethod correlation c. heterotrait-monomethod correlation d. heterortrait-heteromethod correlation

9. In the parlance of the MTMM matrix, which of the following is the correct label for the correlation between self-esteem scores from a self-report measure of self-esteem, and extraversion scores from an “informant report” method of measurement?

Ans: D

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Multitrait-Multimethod Matrices

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. As part of creating a new self-report measure of self-esteem, the test developer conducts a validity study She administers her new scale to a sample of respondents, who also complete 10 additional self-report scales. These scales are measures of constructs that she thinks will show varying levels of association with self-esteem some should be positively correlated, some negatively correlated, and some uncorrelated. Based on these expectations, she generates a clear set of hypothesized or “predicted” correlations. After getting the respondents’ data, she computes the actual correlations between her new scale and all the other scales. She then uses statistical procedures to systematically compare the actual correlations to her predicted correlations She is using which kind of approach, as discussed in the book? a. convergent validity b. sets of correlations c. multitrait-multimethod matrix d. QCV

Ans: D

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Quantifying Construct Validity

Difficulty Level: Medium a. Self-report questionnaires are (believed to be) prone to error from respondents’ response biases b. The magnitude of a validity correlation is affected by both: a) the actual association between constructs, and b) similarity or difference in the methods by which those constructs are measured. c. The correlation between a test and an important criterion might vary from one sample or context to another d. If a test developer unsystematically eyeballs a set of convergent and discriminant validity correlations, then she or he might interpret the results in subjective and inaccurate ways

11. What problem is the QCV procedure intended to avoid?

Ans: D

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Quantifying Construct Validity

Difficulty Level: Medium a. The validity correlation would be higher in Study A than in Study B b. The validity correlation would be higher in Study B than in Study A c. The validity correlation would be identical across the studies d. The validity correlation could not be determined for Study A or B.

12. Say that the test developer is designing a study to evaluate the convergent validity of her new self-report measure of extraversion. She is considering two studies. In study A, she would administer her new measure, along with a self-report measure of happiness. In study B, she would administer her new measure to a sample of participants, and she would observe each participant’s behavior in an in-lab social interaction. Based on those behavioral observations, she would then rate each participant’s apparent happiness. In both studies, she would correlate her scale’s scores with scores on happiness (whichever way it had been measured). Setting other factors aside from a moment (e.g., random measurement error), what would she expect about a difference between her findings from these two studies?

Ans: A

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Quantifying Construct Validity

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. Say that the test developer is designing a study to evaluate the convergent validity of her new self-report measure of extraversion. She is considering two studies. In study A, she would administer her new measure to a sample of participants, and she would observe each participant’s behavior in one in-lab social interaction. Based on those behavioral observations, she would then rate each participant’s apparent happiness. In study B, she would administer her new measure to a sample of participants, and she would observe each participant’s behavior in five separate in-lab social interactions a. The validity correlation would be higher in Study A than in Study B b. The validity correlation would be higher in Study B than in Study A c. The validity correlation would be identical across the studies d. The validity correlation could not be determined for Study A or B.

Based on those behavioral observations, she would then rate each participant’s apparent happiness within each of the five interactions. She would then aggregate (e.g., average) the five happiness ratings for each participant, to get an “overall happiness” score for each participant. In both studies, she would correlate her scale’s scores with scores on happiness (whichever way it had been measured). What would she expect about a difference between her findings from these two studies?

Ans: B

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Quantifying Construct Validity

Difficulty Level: Medium a. The pattern of actual convergent/discriminant validity correlations closely matches the pattern of hypothesized correlations. b. The pattern of actual convergent/discriminant validity correlations does not match the pattern of hypothesized correlations. c. The monotrait heteromethod correlations are robustly greater than the heterotrait monomethod correlations d. The monotrait heteromethod correlations are robustly smaller than the heterotrait monomethod correlations

14 Courtney is examining the validity of a new scale she created. She runs a QCV analysis and obtains a large and significant effect (e.g., rcontrast and ralerting > .80) Which is the most accurate interpretation of these results?

Ans: A

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Quantifying Construct Validity

Difficulty Level: Medium a. content validity evidence b. convergent/discriminant validity evidence c. response process validity evidence d. consequential validity evidence

15 Sarah develops a new measure of Schizoid Personality Disorder, and she examines its validity (as a measure of Schizoid PD). She administers her new measure to a sample of participants. In addition, she also asks the participants to complete existing measures of six other personality disorders (Histrionic, Borderline, etc., see below).

Based on her understanding of Schizoid PD and the other PDs, she generates a set of “predicted corrections”. She believes that, if scores on her new measure are indeed validly interpretable in terms of Schizoid PD, then her new scale will be correlated with scores on the Histrionic PD measure at r= .60, correlated with scores on the Borderline PD measure at r = .30, etc. The table below presents the six predicted correlations.

It also presents two potential sets of actual correlations that she might observe (based on her participants’ actual responses to the measures).

Which type of validity evidence does this question illustrate?

Ans: B

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Quantifying Construct Validity

Difficulty Level: Medium a. The correlation will be positive and greater than .40 b. The correlation will be positive but less than .40 c. The correlation will be zero. d. The correlation will be negative

16. Say that, in psychological reality, extraversion and happiness are positively linked relatively extraverted people tend to be relatively happy, whereas relatively introverted people tend to be less happy. Let’s say that the “true” correlation between extraversion and happiness is r = .40. Finally, let’s say that the test-developer measures both constructs in a sample of participants, where the reliabilities of the two measures are .75 and .60. According to the assumptions of classical test theory, what will the correlation between the measures be?

Ans: B

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Random Measurement Error and Reliability

Difficulty Level: Hard a. The correlation will be positive and greater than .40 b. The correlation will be positive but less than .40 c. The correlation will be zero d. The correlation will be negative

17. Say that, in a large population of university students, extraversion and happiness are positively linked relatively extraverted people tend to be relatively happy, whereas relatively introverted people tend to be less happy. Let’s say that the correlation between extraversion and happiness is r = .40 in the population of students. Finally, let’s say that the test-developer measures both constructs among students who are recruited from a University’s campus counseling center (and thus tend to be relatively low on happiness, on average). Setting other factors aside for a moment (e.g., measurement error), what will the correlation between the measures be within this sub-sample of the population?

Ans: B

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Random Measurement Error and Reliability

Difficulty Level: Hard a. larger than b. smaller than c. unreliable compared to d. immeasurable compared to

18. All else being equal, validity coefficients based on correlations between variables measured at different times are likely to be _________ coefficients based on correlations between variables measured at a single point in time.

Ans: B

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Time

Difficulty Level: Medium a. validity coefficients b. relative proportions c. restricted ranges d. single events

19 Test developers, evaluators, and users must decide whether __________ are large enough to provide compelling evidence of convergence or if they are small enough to assure discriminant validity.

Ans: A

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Interpreting a Validity Coefficient

Difficulty Level: Medium a. discriminant validity b. focused associations c. Taylor-Russell tables d. squared correlation

20 Two criticisms based on this approach are that it is technically incorrect in some cases and that variance itself is based on a nonintuitive metric.

Ans: D

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Squared Correlations and “Variance Explained”

Difficulty Level: Medium

21 Within a population of university students, variables X and Y are uncorrelated with each other (r = .00). A researcher recruits a sample of 100 students from the university, measures variable X and variable Y, and computes the correlation. Which of the following is the *least* likely result that she would get in her sample?: a. r = -.10 b. r = .10 c. r = .60 d. r = -.70

Ans: D

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Estimating Practical Effects: Binomial Effect Size Display, TaylorRussell Tables, Utility Analysis, and Sensitivity/Specificity

Difficulty Level: Hard a. Help researchers gauge the confidence in using a sample’s information to make conclusions about a population of individuals b. Help researchers gauge the effects of method variance on validity correlations (or other effect sizes) c. Help test-users understand the range of values within which their “true” trait levels likely lie d. Help researchers translate an effect size into its practical implications

22 Procedures such as the BESD and the Taylor-Russell tables can be used to do what?

Ans: D

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Estimating Practical Effects: Binomial Effect Size Display, TaylorRussell Tables, Utility Analysis, and Sensitivity/Specificity

Difficulty Level: Medium a. Of the individuals who the test identifies as having ID, 90% truly have ID. b. 90% of the individuals who truly have ID are correctly identified (by the new test) as having ID c. 90% of the individuals who truly do NOT have ID are correctly identified (by the test) as not having ID d. It reflects the ability of the test to identify people who do not have ID

23 Say that the test developer wants to use her newly developed brief test of intelligence to assess intellectual disability (ID). To determine whether the test’s scores lead to the correct identification of individuals who have ID, she compares her “brief test” scores to the results of an in-depth cognitive assessment (seen as the gold standard of diagnosing ID). Let’s say that she conducts a study in which participants are assessed via her new test and an in-depth interview Comparing the scores, she finds a “sensitivity” of .90. What does this mean?

Ans: B

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Estimating Practical Effects: Binomial Effect Size Display, TaylorRussell Tables, Utility Analysis, and Sensitivity/Specificity

Difficulty Level: Medium a. small < .50, medium .50 to .80, large > .80 b. small < .30, medium .30 to .70, large > .70 c. small < .20, medium .20 to .30, large > .30 d. small < .05, medium .05 to .15, large > .15

24 Psychologists have long discussed what “counts” as small, medium, and large correlations. What are Hemphill (2003)’s guidelines for this in psychology?

Ans: C

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Guidelines or Norms for a Field

Difficulty Level: Medium

25 Inferential statistics are used to: a. help test-administrators gauge the confidence that they should have when using an individual’s test score to estimate something about the individual’s psychological characteristics b. help test-users gauge the confidence that they should have when making a real-life decision (e.g., hiring) based upon an individual’s test score c. help researchers gauge the confidence that they should have when using a sample of participants to learn about a population d. help researchers gauge the confidence that they should have when using a population to learn about a sample of participants

Ans: C

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Statistical Significance

Difficulty Level: Medium

True/False

1. A large association between constructs will not decrease the size of a validity coefficient between a test and some outcome (assuming all else is equal).

Ans: T

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Factors Affecting a Validity Coefficient

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. If two constructs are strongly associated with each other, then measures of those constructs will probably be highly correlated with each other.

Ans: T

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Associations Between Constructs

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. There are clear, simple guidelines about detecting range restriction.

Ans: F

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Restricted Range

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Dissimilarly shaped distributions will not decrease the size of a validity coefficient between a test and some outcome (assuming all else is equal).

Ans: F

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Skew and Relative Proportions

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Validity is sometimes evaluated by examining the correlation between a test given at one point in time and a criterion variable measured at a later point in time.

Ans: T

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Time

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Validity coefficients can be affected by an observation of a single event alone.

Ans: F

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Predictions of Single Events

Difficulty Level: Medium

7 There is difficulty in predicting single events.

Ans: T

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Predictions of Single Events

Difficulty Level: Medium

8 Validity coefficients must be interpreted.

Ans: T

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Interpreting a Validity Coefficient

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Interpreting a squared correlation is an uncommon practice.

Ans: F

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Squared Correlations and “Variance Explained”

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Let’s say that the convergent validity correlation between a newly developed intelligence test and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) is .50, the following is likely true: This is a small correlation by Cohen’s widely cited benchmarks for psychology

Ans: F

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Statistical Significance

Difficulty Level: Medium

Short Answer

1. Sarah develops a new measure of Schizoid Personality Disorder, and she examines its validity (as a measure of Schizoid PD). She administers her new measure to a sample of participants. In addition, she also asks the participants to complete existing measures of six other personality disorders (Histrionic, Borderline, etc., see below).

Based on her understanding of Schizoid PD and the other PDs, she generates a set of “predicted corrections”. She believes that, if scores on her new measure are indeed validly interpretable in terms of Schizoid PD, then her new scale will be correlated with scores on the Histrionic PD measure at r= .60, correlated with scores on the Borderline PD measure at r = .30, etc. The table below presents the six predicted correlations.

It also presents two potential sets of actual correlations that she might observe (based on her participants’ actual responses to the measures).

Which of the two sets of potential actual correlations would provide greater evidence of validity, set A or B?

Ans: Answer may vary.

Learning Objective: 9-2: Describe the methods used to evaluate the degree to which measures show convergent and discriminate associations.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Focused Associations

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. What is an example of a restricted range?

Ans: Answer may vary.

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Restricted Range

Difficulty Level: Medium

3 What is a benefit of self-report data?

Ans: Answer may vary.

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Method Variance

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. When two variables are measured through different methods of assessment, are they more strongly or poorly correlated with each other, compared to when two variables are measured through the same method?

Ans: Answer may vary.

Learning Objective: 9-3: Explain what factors affect the size of a validity correlation and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Method Variance

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Based on the previous question and your validity correlation of .56, which of the tables below (A or B) correctly reflects the BESD “translation” of that correlation?

Ans: Answer may vary.

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Estimating Practical Effects: Binomial Effect Size Display, TaylorRussell Tables, Utility Analysis, and Sensitivity/Specificity

Difficulty Level: Medium

6 What is a factor that can affect validity coefficients?

Ans: Answer may vary.

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Predictions of Single Events

Difficulty Level: Medium

7 You develop a new measure, and you do a study to evaluate its criterion validity In your study, you obtain a validity correlation of r = .56. According to Cohen’s well-known guidelines, is this value small or large?

Ans: Answer may vary.

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Guidelines or Norms for a Field

Difficulty Level: Medium a. Since they conducted their study (and got correlations) based upon a very large sample of participants (N = 10,000 participants), their correlations could be statistically significant even if they were very small in magnitude b. Since they conducted their study (and got correlations) based upon a very small sample of participants (N = 20 participants), their correlations could be statistically significant even if they were very small in magnitude

8. For her MA thesis, a student develops a new measure of moral relativism. In attempting to validate this measure, she correlates it with a variety of other measures some of which she believes should be correlated with her measure and some of which she believes should be uncorrelated with her measure. She finds that her measure is statistically significant (p < 05) correlated with all the other measures. Her advisor (who has not taken a course in psychometrics) initially expresses concern that this is a problem for the discriminant validity of her new measure The student (who has taken a course in psychometrics) explains, however, that before being so pessimistic, they should consider the sample size in her study. Which of the following could be a legitimate explanation of her finding that all correlations were statistically significant, A or B?

Ans: Answer may vary.

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Statistical Significance

Difficulty Level: Medium

9 Imagine that the test developer conducts a validity study for her new measure of extraversion but finds a convergent validity correlation (between extraversion and happiness) that is quite a bit lower than she hypothesized. What explanation might account for this finding?

Ans: Answer may vary.

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Statistical Significance

Difficulty Level: Medium

10 Let’s say that the convergent validity correlation between a newly developed intelligence test and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) is found NOT to be statistically significant in a sample of participants. What could be a plausible explanation for such a finding? Either 1) The new intelligence scale is too strongly correlated with the WAIS, or 2) The sample of participants was too small to detect the association.

Ans: Answer may vary.

Learning Objective: 9-4: Discuss how test developers, evaluators, and users interpret validity coefficients.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Statistical Significance

Difficulty Level: Medium