Different Types of Validity (AQA A-Level Psychology 2027)
What is validity?
Validity refers to whether a test, measure or investigation measures what it is intended to measure.
Face validity
Definition
Face validity is the extent to which a questionnaire, test or measure appears (on the face of it) to be measuring what it claims to measure.
Example
A psychologist develops a questionnaire to measure social anxiety. A panel of experienced psychologists reviews the questions and agrees that they appear to measure social anxiety. The questionnaire therefore has good face validity.
How is it assessed?
By asking experts or members of the target population whether the measure appears to assess the intended behaviour.
How can it be improved?
Pilot the questionnaire.
Ask experts to review the items.
Rewrite or remove ambiguous questions.
Concurrent validity
Definition
Concurrent validity is the extent to which a psychological measure relates to an existing similar measure. It is assessed by comparing a new measure with one that has already been shown to be valid.
Example
A psychologist develops a new questionnaire measuring depression. Participants complete both the new questionnaire and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). If participants obtain similar scores on both measures, the new questionnaire has good concurrent validity.
How is it assessed?
Compare participants' scores on the new measure with scores on an established, validated measure.
How can it be improved?
Compare the new measure with a recognised validated test.
Ensure both tests measure the same psychological construct.
Ecological validity
Definition
Ecological validity is a form of external validity that focuses on the extent to which research findings can be generalised to other settings or everyday life.
Example
Milgram's obedience study has been criticised for having low ecological validity because administering what participants believed were electric shocks in a laboratory does not reflect behaviour in everyday life.
How can it be improved?
Use tasks that are more representative of everyday behaviour.
Conduct research in natural settings where appropriate.
(I would avoid saying simply "carry out the study in a natural setting." The current AQA guidance emphasises that ecological validity is mainly about how realistic the task is, not just where it takes place.)
Temporal validity
Definition
Temporal validity is a form of external validity that focuses on the ability to generalise findings beyond the particular historical context of the study.
Examples
Asch's (1951) conformity study may have lower temporal validity because social attitudes and levels of conformity may have changed since the 1950s.
Research investigating attitudes towards mental illness conducted several decades ago may also have lower temporal validity because public understanding and acceptance of mental illness have changed over time.
How can it be improved?
Replicate studies with contemporary participants.
Repeat research at different points in time to determine whether the findings remain applicable.