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The Validity of Affective Instruments

  • Chapter
Instrument Development in the Affective Domain

Part of the book series: Evaluation in Education and Human Services ((EEHS,volume 36))

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Abstract

The investigation of the validity of an affective instrument addresses the general question: “Does the instrument measure what it is supposed to measure?” Contrary to the thinking of some researchers, a test is not certified once and for all as “valid.” Rather, the investigation of validity is an ongoing process. The process continually addresses the appropriateness of the inferences to be made from scores obtained from the instrument (see Cronbach, 1971). That is, validity focuses on the interpretations one wishes to make for a test score in a particular situation. As stated in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests:

Validity is the most important consideration in test evaluation. The concept refers to the appropriateness, meaningfulness, and usefulness of the specific inferences made from test scores. Test validation is the process of accumulating evidence to support such inferences. A variety of inferences may be made from scores produced by a given test, and there are many ways of accumulating evidence to support any particular inference. Validity, however, is a unitary concept. Although evidence may be accumulated in many ways, validity always refers to the degree to which that evidence supports the inferences that are made from the scores. The inferences regarding specific uses of a test are validated, not the test itself. (American Psychological Association, 1985, p. 9)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Connecticut, USA

    Robert K. Gable

  2. Keilty, Goldsmith & Company, USA

    Marian B. Wolf

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  1. Robert K. Gable
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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Gable, R.K., Wolf, M.B. (1993). The Validity of Affective Instruments. In: Instrument Development in the Affective Domain. Evaluation in Education and Human Services, vol 36. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1400-4_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1400-4_4

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