Deck 6: Validity

Question 1

In legal terminology,a valid contract is a contract that

A) measures what it purports to measure.
B) has been executed with the proper formalities.
C) is well grounded on principles of evidence.
D) None of these

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Lawshe's method for gauging agreement among raters is used to derive a measure of

A) face validity.
B) content validity.
C) criterion-related validity.
D) construct validity.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Criterion-related validity is to predictive validity as criterion-related validity is to

A) construct validity.
B) content validity.
C) concurrent validity.
D) test bias.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

"The effect of instituting this remedy for adverse impact is to make equivalent all scores that fall within a particular range." The remedy for adverse impact referred to here is technically referred to as

A) within-group norming.
B) differential cut-offs.
C) preference policies.
D) banding.

Question 5

In Chapter 6 of your text,Dr.Adam Shoemaker,the featured professional in Meet an Assessment Professional,described the use of a test with little criterion validity.Dr.Shoemaker recalled that this test was used for the purpose of

A) gauging inter-item consistency of another test.
B) gaining "buy-in" from the test users.
C) providing a "job preview" of sorts to assessees.
D) hiring candidates for mid-level executive positions.

Question 6

A team of consumer psychologists is interested in conducting research to test the palatability of Papa John's Pizza (PJP),A PJP Palatability Test is developed on the basis of the opinions of a sample of prison inmates sentenced to life in prison.These same inmates are then used to validate a paper-and-pencil "PJP Palatability Survey." What error has been committed by the researchers?

A) The researchers used an inappropriate population to test.
B) The test validation was invalid due to criterion contamination.
C) Convergent evidence was confused with discriminant evidence.
D) A Constitutional prohibition against subjecting prisoners to cruel and unusual punishment was violated

Question 7

A test reviewer comes to the conclusion that a certain test is "a valid test." This means that the reviewed test has been shown to be valid for

A) a particular use with a particular population for the life of the test.
B) a particular use with a universal population of testtakers for a limited time.
C) universal use with all testtakers for the life of the test.
D) a particular use with a particular population at a particular time.

Question 8

If a test developer has only a "fuzzy" vision of the construct being measured,then

A) the content validity of the test is likely to suffer.
B) the construct validity of the test is likely to suffer.
C) content irrelevant to the targeted construct may be measured.
D) All of these

Question 9

Test blueprinting is applied in the design of

A) an attitude test.
B) a personality test.
C) an aptitude test.
D) All of these

Question 10

Messick is to unitarian as __________ is to trinitarian.

A) Cronbach
B) Lawshe
C) Landy
D) Dangerfield

Question 11

"How can group differences on cognitive ability tests be reduced while retaining existing high levels of reliability and criterion-related validity?" According to Gottfredson,the answer to this question

A) lies in the judicious application of affirmative action strategies.
B) must be answered by measurement professionals for themselves.
C) must come from strategies designed to minimize adverse impact.
D) will not come from measurement-related research.

Question 12

As the term is applied to a test,validity is a judgment or estimate of how well a test

A) measures what it purports to measure.
B) measures what it purports to measure in a particular context.
C) satisfies the deductions that could logically be made from inferences about it.
D) All of these

Question 13

It has to do with the degree to which an additional predictor explains something about the criterion measure that is not explained by predictors already in use.It is

A) the false positive rate.
B) evidence of construct validity.
C) predictive validity.
D) incremental validity.

Question 14

"It's a measure of validity that arrived at by a comprehensive analysis of how scores on the test relate to other test scores." This statement is a reference to:

A) face validity
B) content validity
C) the trinitarian index
D) construct validity

Question 15

An expectancy chart is

A) a graphic representation of an expectancy table.
B) a table illustrating the incremental validity of a test.
C) a pictorial image of a hit rate versus a miss rate.
D) All of these

Question 16

Each of the three approaches to validity assessment in the trinitarian model should BEST be thought of as

A) mutually exclusive as evidence of a test's validity with any one source necessary and sufficient for demonstrating a test's validity.
B) one type of evidence that, with others, contributes to a judgment concerning the validity of a test.
C) insufficient, either by themselves or together with the other two, to demonstrate the validity of a test.
D) None of these

Question 17

As mentioned in Chapter 6 of your text,the measurement of content validity is particularly important in

A) classroom settings, where tests will form the basis of a grade.
B) employment settings, where tests may be used to promote employees.
C) courtroom settings, where tests may be used to determine competence.
D) screening for the potential of emission of violent or aggressive behavior.

Question 18

The validation of a test is a process

A) that can be carried out by the test author.
B) that can be carried out by the test user.
C) of gathering evidence of the test's validity.
D) All of these

Question 19

In order to remain consistent with a test's blueprint,a test administered on a regular basis is likely to require

A) item pool management.
B) base rate maintenance.
C) predictive validity certification.
D) None of these

Question 20

Comedian Rodney Dangerfield was cited in the text to illustrate a point about how which of the following is viewed?

A) test validation
B) content validity
C) face validity
D) construct validity

Question 21

Face validity refers to

A) the most preferred method for determining validity.
B) another name for content validity.
C) the appearance of relevancy of the test items.
D) validity determined by means of face-to-face interviews.

Question 22

Which assessment technique is the BEST example of a face valid method?

A) a personality test in which testtakers are asked to describe what they see in inkblots
B) administering a word processing test to a person applying to be a word processor
C) asking testtakers to draw a picture of their family to assess family relationships
D) measuring the height of applicants applying for a semi-pro basketball team

Question 23

Lawshe devised a method for determining agreement among raters or judges who rate items on how essential they are.This method provides a way to quantify what type of validity?

A) content
B) construct
C) criterion-related
D) predictive

Question 24

Which is an example of a criterion?

A) achievement test scores
B) success in being able to repair a defective toaster
C) student ratings of teaching effectiveness
D) All of these

Question 25

In calculating the content validity ratio,panelists are asked to determine

A) if the test item has face validity and an acceptable level of reliability.
B) if the test item is too long or too short.
C) if the test item is ambiguous.
D) if the skill or knowledge measured by the item is essential.

Question 26

The minimum value of a content validity ratio necessary to be statistically significant at the .05 level is dependent on

A) the number of panelists judging the items.
B) the degree of the construct validity of the test.
C) the number of testtakers.
D) the number of items on the test.

Question 27

A standard against which a test or test score is evaluated is known as

A) a facet.
B) a correlation coefficient.
C) a validity coefficient.
D) a criterion.

Question 28

Relating scores obtained on a test to other test scores or data from other assessment procedures is typically done in an effort to establish the __________ validity of a test.

A) content-related
B) criterion-related
C) face
D) about-face

Question 29

Predictive and concurrent validity can be subsumed under

A) content validity.
B) criterion-related validity.
C) face validity.
D) true score validity.

Question 30

Criterion contamination occurs when

A) the criterion measure is influenced by the predictor measure.
B) subjects talk to one another about the test.
C) the characteristic being measured occurs with low frequency in the group being studied.
D) All of these

Question 31

Which BEST represents an unobtrusive measure of marital adjustment?

A) the number of years a couple has been married
B) self-ratings of marital satisfaction by each spouse
C) ratings of marital satisfaction made by trained observers
D) None of these

Question 32

Which of the following is BEST be viewed as varieties of criterion-related validity?

A) concurrent validity and face validity
B) content validity and predictive validity
C) concurrent validity and predictive validity
D) concurrent validity and content validity

Question 33

Before constructing a comprehensive final examination that covers everything you have studied since Day 1 of your course,your instructor reviews the objectives of the course,the textbook,and all lecture notes.Your instructor is clearly making a diligent effort to maximize the __________ validity of the final examination.

A) content
B) criterion-related
C) predictive
D) internal consistency

Question 34

Which is NOT a method of evaluating the validity of a test?

A) evaluating scores on the test as compared to scores obtained on other tests
B) evaluating the content of the test
C) evaluating the percentage of passing and failing grades on the test
D) evaluating test scores as they relate to predictions from a particular theory

Question 35

The form of criterion-related validity that reflects the degree to which a test score is correlated with a criterion measure obtained at the same time that the test score was obtained is known as:

A) predictive validity.
B) construct validity.
C) concurrent validity.
D) content validity.

Question 36

The form of criterion-related validity that reflects the degree to which a test score correlates with a criterion measure that was obtained some time subsequent to the test score is known as:

A) predictive validity.
B) construct validity.
C) concurrent validity.
D) content validity.

Question 37

Face validity

A) may influence the way the testtaker approaches the situation.
B) relates more to what the test appears to measure than what the test may actually measure.
C) is given short-shrift as compared to other indices of validity.
D) All of these

Question 38

A test is considered valid when the test

A) measures what it purports to measure.
B) measures whatever it is that it measures consistently.
C) can be administered efficiently and cost-effectively.
D) has little or no error associated with it.

Question 39

An instructor announces that an examination will cover the topics of reliability and validity.Malcolm boasts that he will read and study only the material on reliability.As it turns out,all of the test questions are only on the topic of reliability.The MOST reasonable conclusion a student of assessment could draw from this is that

A) the examination lacked criterion-related validity.
B) the examination lacked content validity.
C) the examination lacked face validity.
D) it's worth getting to know Malcolm better.

Question 40

A key difference between concurrent and predictive validity has to do with

A) the time frame during which data on the criterion measure is collected.
B) the magnitude of the reliability coefficient that will be considered significant at the .05 level.
C) the magnitude of the validity coefficient that will be considered significant at the .05 level.
D) Both b and c

Question 41

According to the text,face validity may ultimately be more of an issue regarding __________ than ________.

A) social values/psychometric soundness.
B) psychometric soundness/public relations.
C) public relations/psychometric soundness.
D) social values/public perception.

Question 42

Blueprinting is best associated with

A) construct validity.
B) content validity.
C) criterion-related validity.
D) architectural validity.

Question 43

What type of validity evidence best sheds light on whether a college admissions test is valid for selecting students who will complete the program within 4 years?

A) predictive criterion-related validity
B) concurrent criterion-related validity
C) content validity
D) construct validity

Question 44

What type of validity evidence BEST sheds light on how a shorter and less expensive test compares with a longer and more expensive one?

A) predictive criterion-related validity
B) concurrent criterion-related validity
C) content validity
D) construct validity

Question 45

An investigation of a test's construct validity may yield evidence that

A) the test is measuring a single construct.
B) the test does not correlate significantly with another test purporting to measure the same construct.
C) test scores increase as a function of age.
D) All of these

Question 46

Employment test data suggests that an individual applicant is incapable of successfully performing a particular job.However,in reality,this individual would be very successful at the job.This situation exemplifies what is meant by

A) a base rate.
B) a false positive.
C) a false negative.
D) an "E" True Hollywood Story.

Question 47

In an expectancy table,the percentage of employees who are currently successful in a position provides some indication of:

A) the validity of the proposed selection measure as compared to another proposed selection measure.
B) the percent successful using current methods of selection.
C) the reliability of the proposed selection measure.
D) the base rate of the proposed selection measure.

Question 48

Which measures provide statistical evidence for the judgment of criterion-related validity?

A) reliability coefficient and content validity ratio
B) validity coefficient and expectancy data
C) validity coefficient and content validity ratio
D) reliability coefficient and expectancy data

Question 49

If you were a psychologist working in the field of human resources,which claim for a new personnel selection test by a test publisher would be MOST persuasive?

A) The test identifies a large number of false positives.
B) The test improves the hit rate.
C) The test identifies a large base rate.
D) The test improves the selection ratio.

Question 50

Criterion-related validity can be evaluated through the use of

A) expectancy data.
B) reliability coefficients.
C) the Rulon formula.
D) None of these

Question 51

Expectancy tables are used in evaluating

A) content validity.
B) factorial validity.
C) criterion-related validity.
D) None of these

Question 52

Which qualifies as a construct?

A) depression
B) intelligence
C) mechanical aptitude
D) All of these

Question 53

The percentages included in expectancy tables refer to the number of

A) tests administered versus tests passed.
B) people obtaining a particular test-score/criterion-score combination.
C) items the test developer expects will be sufficient for the item pool.
D) people who are expected to pass the test but may not be successful at the criterion.

Question 54

Which magnitude of validity coefficient is typically acceptable to conclude that a test is valid?

A) 1.50
B) 1.80
C) above 1.90
D) None of these

Question 55

A construct is

A) unobservable.
B) something that describes behavior.
C) something that is assumed to exist.
D) All of these

Question 56

Which is an example of a false positive?

A) A test identifies a client as schizophrenic when the client is not.
B) A test correctly identifies a client as schizophrenic.
C) A test correctly identifies a client as not having schizophrenia.
D) A test indicates that a client is not schizophrenic when he is.

Question 57

All validity evidence can be interpreted as ________ validity.

A) content
B) criterion-related
C) predictive
D) construct

Question 58

Which statement is always TRUE of the criterion in expectancy tables?

A) The criterion is represented as the number of points scored.
B) The criterion is dichotomized.
C) The criterion is listed by score interval.
D) The criterion can be objectively scored.

Question 59

The magnitude of a validity coefficient may be affected by

A) attrition of the sample.
B) restriction of range.
C) inflation of range.
D) All of these

Question 60

A coefficient of correlation is calculated between Malcolm's score on a test of sociopathy and a clinician's rating of Malcolm on the variable of sociopathy.This coefficient of correlation might also be referred to as

A) an index of reliability.
B) an index of sociopathy.
C) a validity coefficient.
D) a content-related validity coefficient.

Question 61

Test scores may be affected in pre- and post-testing by

A) therapy.
B) medication.
C) education.
D) All of these

Question 62

Rating errors

A) may be unintentional.
B) may be intentional.
C) may involve a tendency to be lenient in rating.
D) All of these

Question 63

A supervisor unintentionally rates his supervisees less favorably than they really deserve.Which type of error is at work here?

A) unconscious error
B) severity error
C) random error
D) vocational error

Question 64

If a test is a valid measure of a particular construct,we would expect that

A) groups of people who differ with respect to the construct will obtain different test scores.
B) groups of people who differ with respect to the construct will obtain similar test scores.
C) groups of people who obtain similar scores will have similar personalities.
D) None of these

Question 65

Which term is used to refer to the tendency of a rater to evaluate ratees higher than they objectively deserve because of the rater's inability to discriminate between aspects of the ratee's behavior?

A) halo effect
B) random error
C) generosity error
D) severity error

Question 66

A statistically insignificant correlation between scores on a new test of depression and a well established measure of satisfaction with life may be construed as which type of validity evidence with regard to the test of depression?

A) criterion-related validity
B) convergent evidence of construct validity
C) discriminant evidence of construct validity
D) None of these because there was an insignificant relationship.

Question 67

Which is the MOST useful tool in evaluating convergent and discriminant validity evidence?

A) the Rulon formula
B) a multitrait-multimethod matrix
C) a Greco-Latin squares design
D) an abacus

Question 68

Which statistic is appropriate for use to estimating the heterogeneity of a test composed of multiple-choice items?

A) point-biserial correlation coefficient
B) Pearson-product moment correlation coefficient
C) coefficient alpha
D) chi square

Question 69

Evidence of the homogeneity of a test can be found in the

A) correlation between a test and some criterion.
B) correlation between test items and total test scores.
C) correlation between subtest scores and total scores.
D) Both b and c

Question 70

Which is TRUE regarding a rating?

A) It refers only to a numerical judgment that places a person or an attribute along a continuum.
B) It refers only to a verbal judgment that places a person or an attribute along a continuum.
C) It tends not to involve a judgment.
D) It refers to either a numerical or a verbal judgment that places a person or an attribute along a continuum.

Question 71

Which type of error has occurred when a music critic's review of Lady GaGa's latest album is more positive than most person on the planet believe was warranted?

A) fashion error
B) central tendency error
C) severity error
D) halo effect

Question 72

A significant,positive relationship exists between scores on a new test of intelligence and scores on the fourth edition of the Stanford-Binet intelligence scale.These data may be viewed as supportive of which type of validity evidence for the new test?

A) criterion-related validity
B) content validity
C) convergent evidence of construct validity
D) discriminant evidence of construct validity

Question 73

A test is considered to contain a bias if

A) 50% of the test-takers fail the test.
B) one group, such as males, consistently performs better than another group, such as females.
C) a factor inherent in the test systematically prevents accurate measurement.
D) the test developer was found to harbor prejudice against some group.

Question 74

A rater systematically assigns ratings in the middle range,thus avoiding extremely positive and negative ratings.Which type of error BEST characterizes this rater's ratings?

A) leniency error
B) central tendency error
C) severity error
D) halo effect

Question 75

Quotas may be viewed as one type of remedy for

A) low reliability of selection tests.
B) previously unfair practices.
C) low validity of selection tests.
D) All of these

Question 76

The names attributed to different factor loadings in a factor analysis are

A) dictated by the factors themselves.
B) subject to change as new analyses occur.
C) thoroughly validated against dictionary definitions.
D) dependent on the researcher's judgment.

Question 77

Issues of "fairness" as applied to tests

A) are seldom discussed in the popular media.
B) may be determined through mathematical procedures.
C) are generally agreed on.
D) are rooted in moral and philosophical issues.

Question 78

Which of the following is TRUE of test bias as compared to test fairness?

A) Test bias is dependent on statistical analyses while test fairness relates to values.
B) Test bias is dependent on values while test fairness relates to statistical analyses.
C) Whether a test is fair can be answered with certainty while whether a test is biased cannot.
D) None of these statements are true.

Question 79

In the context of test bias,a biased test

A) may be used fairly.
B) may be used unfairly.
C) may be used either fairly or unfairly.
D) is only used by biased test users.

Question 80

Any definition of test fairness as used in a psychometric context would be likely to include reference to

A) the percent of items answered correctly by members of different groups.
B) the mean scores earned by various groups on a particular test.
C) the degree to which a test is used in an impartial, just and equitable way.
D) All of these