This is the process of demonstrating that there is a statistical relationship between scores of a measure and an outcome variable of interest (like job success).
a. Test-retest reliability
b. Construct related validity
c. Internal consistency reliability
d. Criterion related validity
e. Content related validity
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer: d. Criterion related validity
Explanation (300 Words):
Criterion-related validity refers to how well one measure predicts an outcome based on another established or known measure (the “criterion”). In other words, it’s a way to demonstrate that a test or assessment is statistically related to an important outcome — like job performance, academic success, or customer satisfaction.
There are two types of criterion-related validity:
- Predictive validity – when the test is used to predict future performance.
Example: Using a college entrance exam score to predict a student’s future GPA. - Concurrent validity – when the test and the criterion are measured at the same time.
Example: Correlating a current employee’s job performance rating with their results from a new aptitude test.
In the question, the phrase “demonstrating a statistical relationship between scores of a measure and an outcome variable of interest (like job success)” directly refers to criterion-related validity, since it involves linking test scores to a real-world performance measure.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:
- a. Test-retest reliability measures the stability of test scores over time, not their relationship with outcomes.
- b. Construct-related validity assesses whether a test measures the theoretical construct it’s intended to (e.g., intelligence, motivation).
- c. Internal consistency reliability checks how consistently items on a test measure the same construct, not how they relate to an external criterion.
- e. Content-related validity evaluates whether the test content represents the entire range of the subject or behavior it’s supposed to measure (e.g., does a math test cover all relevant topics?).
Conclusion:
Criterion-related validity is the correct answer because it directly addresses the concept of correlating test results with a specific outcome — like job success — using statistical methods.