What is criterion validity and what are its two forms?

• A. How well a measure correlates with an external criterion; two forms: concurrent and predictive validity.
• B. How well a measure correlates with other measures; convergent and discriminant validity.
• C. How reliable a measure is; test-retest and internal consistency.
• D. How content aligns with theory; construct and face validity.

Answer: (A)

Criterion validity assesses how well a test or measure relates to an external standard that reflects real-world performance of the construct. The external standard, or criterion, should be independent of the measure itself.

There are two forms. Concurrent validity is shown when the measure relates to the criterion assessed at roughly the same time—for example, a new mood questionnaire correlating with a clinician’s diagnostic assessment conducted now. Predictive validity is shown when the measure predicts the criterion in the future—for instance, a hiring test predicting future job performance or a college entrance exam predicting first-year GPA.

Other validity types focus on different ideas. Convergent and discriminant validity are about how the measure relates to other measures within a broader construct (construct validity). Reliability concerns consistency of the measure across time or items. Content and face validity relate to how well the measure covers the domain of interest and appears to measure what it should.