The Idea of Construct Validity

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The Idea of Construct Validity
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Construct Validity
Theory
What you think
Cause Construct
Effect Construct
cause-effect construct

• Can we generalize to the constructs?

Program
Observations
program-outcome relationship
What you do
What you see
Observation
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The Analogy to Law
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The Analogy to Law
...the truth
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The Analogy to Law
...the truth
...the whole truth...
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The Analogy to Law
...the truth
...the whole truth...
...and nothing but the truth
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In terms of Construct Validity...
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In terms of Construct Validity...
...the construct
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In terms of Construct Validity...
...the construct
...the whole construct...
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In terms of Construct Validity...
...the construct
...the whole construct...
...and nothing but the construct
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What is the goal?
other construct A
other construct B
the construct
other construct D
other construct C
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What is the goal?
didnt measure any of the construct
other construct A
other construct B
the construct
other construct C
other construct D
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What is the goal?
measure part of the construct and part of
construct B
other construct A
other construct B
the construct
other construct C
other construct D
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What is the goal?
measure part of the construct and nothing else
other construct A
other construct B
the construct
other construct C
other construct D
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What is the goal?
measure all of the construct and nothing else
other construct A
other construct B
the construct
other construct C
other construct D
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The Problem

• concepts are not mutually exclusive
• they exist in a web of overlapping meaning
• to enhance construct validity, we must show where
  the construct is in its broader network of meaning

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Could show that...
the construct is slightly related to the other
four...
other construct A
other construct B
the construct
other construct C
other construct D
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Could show that...
...and, constructs A C and constructs B D are
related to each other...
other construct A
other construct B
the construct
other construct C
other construct D
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Could show that...
...and, constructs A C are not related to
constructs B D
other construct A
other construct B
the construct
other construct C
other construct D
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Example Want to Measure...
self esteem
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Example Distinguish From...
self disclosure
self worth
self esteem
confidence
openness
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To Establish Construct Validity

• have to set the construct within a semantic
  (meaning) net
• have to provide evidence that your data support
  the theoretical structure (constructs that should
  be more related, are constructs that should be
  less related, are)
• evidence that you control the operationalization
  of the construct (that your theory has some
  correspondence with reality)

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