An Empirical Study of Reporting Practices Concerning Measurement Validity

Abstract

This study investigates the current research practice concerning reporting measurement validity evidence based on a sample of 696 research reports listed in the American Psychological Association’s Directory of Unpublished Experimental Mental Measures. Only 55% of the reports included any type of validity evidence. This was a substantially lower percentage than the percentage for reports of reliability found in an earlier study. Of those entries that included validity evidence, the vast majority reported correlations with other variables. Little use was made of the numerous other types of validation approaches described in measurement textbooks and in the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and National Council on Measurement in Education’s Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. Inconsistent reports of validity characterized nearly all journals covered in the study.