Concurrent and predictive validity designs: A critical reanalysis.

Historical and contemporary discussions of test validation cite 4 major criticisms of concurrent validity that are assumed to seriously distort a concurrent validity coefficient. These include "missing persons," restriction of range, motivational and demographic differences between present employees and job applicants, and confounding by job experience. As a result, predictive validity has been espoused as a scientifically superior strategy for the validation of personnel selection tests. However, it is argued here that frequently the conceptual distinction between predictive and concurrent validity has been exaggerated. More importantly, the differences that may exist have never been shown to render concurrent validity inaccurate as an estimate of predictive validity. Existing data suggest that these differences, if present, have a minimal impact on the magnitude of an obtained validity coefficient. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)