The validity of validity: An analysis of validation study designs.

Draws a distinction between validity (logic of inferences) and validation (the process of research using a specific design) to evaluate 11 criterion-related validation designs that differ in the timing of measurement of test behavior and job performance and in the selection procedure (random, existing tests, and experimental tests). Comparisons are based on T. D. Cook and D. T. Campbell's (1949) 4 interrelated criteria: statistical conclusion, internal, construct, and external validity. The analysis marks the selection procedure as a major design property that influences the validity of validation studies. Important differences between concurrent and predictive validation are identified for several aspects of validity. The fact that no specific design is considered most appropriate for all purposes suggests the use of validation research programs, based on a series of studies with different designs, to enhance the validity of validation research. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The validity of biographical data items for food company salesmen.

In pretesting screening of sales applicants, what are the especially significant factors determining which of them will continue their employment? 32 promoted salesmen and 20 successful salesmen were compared with 25 resigned and 27 fired salesmen according to 5 "knock-out" factors: job-hopping, previous income too high, earnings less than living expenses, business failure within the past 2 years, and divorced within the past 2 years. "The most frequent "knock-out" factor was job-hopping… . The results confirm the value of some use of the 'knock-out' factors." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The analysis of profile data.

"Methods were suggested for handling 3 problems in the analysis of test profiles: measuring the similarity of profiles, discriminating the typical profiles of two or more groups, and clustering profiles into homogeneous groups. The suggested methods were, respectively, picturing profiles as interpoint distances in Euclidean space, use of the linear multiple-discriminant function, and factor analysis of profile cross-product terms. Some suggestions were given about transformations of profile data before further analysis." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The registration of psychologists in Canada.

A review of current statutes indicates that six provinces in Canada now have acts which provide for the registration of psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy and marijuana cessation: A construct validity analysis.

Hypotheses regarding the relationships between self-efficacy for avoiding marijuana use and theoretically related measures were examined in a sample of 161 men and 51 women who sought treatment aimed at marijuana cessation. Theoretically proposed sources of efficacy judgments showed stronger univariate and multivariate relationships with efficacy for avoiding marijuana use after treatment than before treatment. The cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention treatment resulted in marginally greater self-efficacy, compared with a nonbehavioral treatment, but the link between coping skill training and efficacy was ambiguous. Efficacy contributed incrementally to the prediction of posttreatment marijuana use beyond efficacy source variables, but it did not completely mediate the effects of those sources of efficacy judgments. Predictive validity was stronger for frequency of posttreatment marijuana use than for abstinence status. The need for better assessment of the efficacy construct and potential revisions in efficacy theory as applied to substance use are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrative data analysis: The simultaneous analysis of multiple data sets.

There are both quantitative and methodological techniques that foster the development and maintenance of a cumulative knowledge base within the psychological sciences. Most noteworthy of these techniques is meta-analysis, which allows for the synthesis of summary statistics drawn from multiple studies when the original data are not available. However, when the original data can be obtained from multiple studies, many advantages stem from the statistical analysis of the pooled data. The authors define integrative data analysis (IDA) as the analysis of multiple data sets that have been pooled into one. Although variants of IDA have been incorporated into other scientific disciplines, the use of these techniques is much less evident in psychology. In this article the authors present an overview of IDA as it may be applied within the psychological sciences, discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of IDA, describe analytic strategies for analyzing pooled individual data, and offer recommendations for the use of IDA in practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maximizing the discriminant validity of phallometric assessment data.

Independent data sets from phallometric assessment studies were analyzed to examine methods of maximizing the discriminant validity of phallometric testing. Community volunteers and non-sex-offender patients were compared with rapists and child molesters recruited primarily from a maximum security psychiatric institution. The results indicate that the discriminant validity of phallometric assessment was enhanced by the use of (1) z (rather than raw) scores to compensate for individual differences in responsivity, (2) deviance indexes (computed by calculating the difference in responsivity between deviant and nondeviant stimuli) rather than responses to deviant categories alone, (3) stimuli depicting brutal sexual coercion, and (4) pubescent stimuli for assessing sexual age preferences. Discriminant validity was unimpaired by including Ss with low levels of response. The implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A developmental analysis of performance on Piaget's formal operations tasks.

Presented 80 6th-, 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade female students with 10 of the Piagetian formal operations tasks. Scores were assigned to each task protocol on the basis of performance criteria for the substages of preoperations, early and late concrete operations, and early and late formal operations. Analyses of the data indicated that as grade increased, mean scores on the 10 tasks also increased. Although the results suggest that formal thinking begins to emerge between 12 and 15 yrs of age, not even the oldest age group consistently evidenced formal operations performance across all tasks. The task main effect was highly significant and post hoc analyses indicated that there were significant differences between tasks in level of performance. The task differences are discussed in terms of performance factors operating in this study as well as in previous formal operations research. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A critical analysis of the Hardiness Scale's validity and utility.

Prior research has suggested that hardiness buffers the effects of stressful life events. This prior research also contains several shortcomings, including (a) little evidence that hardiness does in fact have a buffering effect; (b) the failure of a previous factor analysis of the hardiness subscales to reproduce the three dimensions of hardiness; (c) the measurement of hardiness with negative indicators that may tap general maladjustment; and (d) the frequent use of inappropriate statistical techniques. We conducted this study to address these shortcomings. First, although we were able to replicate the main effects for hardiness found in previous retrospective studies when the data were analyzed by an analysis of variance (ANOVA) we found no buffering effects. Second, a factor analysis of the hardiness subscales revealed two factors. The loadings of subscales on these factors were not consistent with the conceptualization of hardiness. Third, we found statistically significant correlations (p?     

Distortions of construct validity in multiple regression analysis.

Contends that interpreting the results of multiple regression analyses in terms of the constructs reflected by variables originally entered into the analyses is hazardous because the statistics of interest produced by the analysis (e.g., regression coefficients) are computed using residualized scores. These scores reflect constructs that differ from those described by the original raw scores. Interpretive hazards are demonstrated with a simple fabricated set of data and then with actual data from a study by the author and R. W. Marx (1981) relating 118 schoolchildren's self-concept to their achievement. It is recommended that anchor variables not of direct interest in a research study be measured and correlated with residualized variables. This supplementary analysis sheds light on changes to construct validity that must be known before interpreting multiple regression analyses. (French abstract) (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictive validity of six neurodiagnostic tests: A decision theory analysis.

Investigated different aspects of predictive validity for EEG, skull X ray, brain scan, arteriogram, pneumoencephalogram and the Block Rotation Test. The validation sample was based on cases referred to a Neuropsychology Service from 1964-1968. The criterion distribution, brain disease (B) and no brain disease (F), and the test signs, positive (+) and negative -, were both dichotomized for analysis. The overall hit rate, percentage of valid positives, and strength of predictive association were extremely low for several of the tests. However, the predictive utility reversed appreciably for some of the tests when base-rate information (inverse probabilities) and types-of-error risk (cost efficiency) were computed. Implications for diagnosis in neurology and psychology are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The validity of importance.

Studied the usefulness of weighting by importance when combining measures of satisfaction with job aspects into a measure of overall satisfaction. Results with 380 clerical workers question the validity of the information that is used for importance weighting. It is concluded that the model of cognitive behavior that relates the importance of job aspects to the evaluation of overall job attitude should be revised. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The validity of polygraph testing: Scientific analysis and public controversy.

Reviews the literature on field and analog polygraph testing to aid Congressional consideration of efforts by the US Department of Defense to expand use of polygraph tests to large numbers of government employees with access to classified information. It is noted that the validity of polygraph testing has yet to be established. The present review suggests serious problems with both the theoretical rationale underlying use of polygraph tests and the quality of available evidence supporting the validity of such tests. The most serious problem in the development of policy-relevant conclusions about polygraph testing is viewed as the lack of theory to explain the results of testing. Although polygraph tests attempt to use anxiety as an indicator of lying, anxiety has many causal factors other than lying. The validity of control question analog studies is considered in relation to polygraph validity, and the effects of S characteristics, setting, and countermeasures on validity are discussed. (2 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An array of qualitative data analysis tools: A call for data analysis triangulation.

One of the most important steps in the qualitative research process is analysis of data. The purpose of this article is to provide elements for understanding multiple types of qualitative data analysis techniques available and the importance of utilizing more than one type of analysis, thus utilizing data analysis triangulation, in order to understand phenomenon more fully for school psychology research and beyond. The authors describe seven qualitative analysis tools: methods of constant comparison, keywords-in-context, word count, classical content analysis, domain analysis, taxonomic analysis, and componential analysis. Then, the authors outline when to use each type of analysis. In so doing, the authors use real qualitative data to help distinguish the various types of analyses. Furthermore, flowcharts and tables are provided to help delineate when to choose each type of analysis. Finally, the role of computer-assisted software in the qualitative data-analytic process is discussed. As such, use of the analyses outlined in this article should help to promote rigor in qualitative research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The mental testing community and validity: A prehistory.

Before World War I, American testers of intelligence and mental ability did not enjoy the benefits of having their own research community. They began to compare notes on their various objects, Ss, and techniques but lacked a standard vocabulary and system for evaluating the accuracy of tests. This article examines the different conceptions of accuracy evaluation in the published testing programs of J. M. Cattell, C. Spearman, A. Binet, L. M. Terman, R. M. Yerkes, C. L. Thorndike, and W. D. Scott. The thesis is that the formation of a mental testing community and consensus of validation awaited convergence between those who unified mentality by theory and those who diversified it for practical purposes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The construct validity of egocentrism.

Briefly explains construct validation and applies it to egocentrism. Conceptual and operational referents of this construct are organized into 3 categories: visual/spatial egocentrism (what does the other see), affective egocentrism (what does the other feel), and cognitive/communicative egocentrism (what is the other thinking). Several kinds of reliability information are reported, and construct validity is evaluated primarily by examination of the relationships among measures of egocentrism within and between categories. Although interrater reliability and interrater agreement were found to be uniformly high for all egocentrism measures examined in a review, and the measurement reliability was usually adequate, a few tasks were not internally consistent. Overall, the construct validity of egocentrism was not supported, since most task intercorrelations were low and often nonsignificant. An alternative interpretation of the data based on cognitive constructs and task- and response-specific variables is proposed. (2? p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The validity of licensure examinations.

Argues that licensure examinations should be interpreted as measures of specific abilities that are ciritical for professional practice and analyzes the implications of this interpretation for the validity of licensure examinations. The validity of a test designed to measure such critical abilities would depend on how important the abilities being measured are for professional practice and on how adequately these abilities are measured. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A factor analysis of retail credit application data.

22 variables relating to 1200 applications for credit in a nationwide finance company were intercorrelated and factor analyzed. Variables included personal-history information, financial condition and background of the applicant, and data relating to the current transaction. The 6 factors which emerged were identified as: Size of Present Transaction; Applicant Stability; Previous Use of Credit; Personal Income; Loan Duration, and Domestic Work Pattern. Variable communalities were extremely low, with only 1 exceeding .50. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A note on the registration of psychologists in Canada.

In regards to psychologist certification laws, notes that six provinces in Canada have acts which provide for the registration of psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct validity: A Critique.

"The renaming of the process of building a theory of behavior by the new term 'construct validity' contributes nothing to the understanding of the process nor to the usefulness of the concepts. The introduction into discussion of psychological theorizing of the aspects of construct validity discussed… creates, at best, unnecessary confusion and at worst, a nonempirical, nonscientific approach to the study of behavior." Terminology of logical behaviorism and techniques of an "operational methodology" are preferred. "It is… recommended that the formulation of construct validity, as presented in the several papers noted in this critique, be eliminated from further consideration as a way of speaking about psychological concepts, laws, and theories." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)