*Introduction*

The Oxford Research Encyclopedias describe validity as "the extent to which an instrument measures
what it is supposed to measure, and the extent to which the scores derived from the instrument are
meaningful and useful for the intended purpose." Validity is an important part of research, as it enables
researchers to ensure that the data they collect is accurate, relevant, and useful for addressing the
research questions or hypotheses.

Validity has different types including internal validity, external validity, construct validity, and content
validity. Each type of validity is important and addresses different aspects of the research design, such as
the study's sample, measurement tools, and procedures.

Overall, validity is a crucial aspect of research, as it ensures that the findings obtained are accurate,
reliable, and useful for making valid inferences about the population or phenomenon under
investigation.

Abstract:

This article aims to highlight the importance of validity in academic research and the factor of reliability
it has for researchers and academicians. Furthermore, it deals with the basic questions such as the
various kinds of validity in psychological research and how it is possible to establish it in psychological
testing?

Key words:

Validity, kinds of validity, reliability, accuracy and validity and research facets.

Methodology:

Procedure: To answer the research questions, a comprehensive review of the literature on validity in
psychological testing will be conducted. The review will include both primary and secondary sources,
including empirical studies, review articles, and textbooks. The literature review will be guided by the
research questions and will focus on identifying the different types of validity in psychological testing
and the methods used to establish validity.

Basic Questions:

1- kinds of validity in psychological testing.

2- How can validity be established in psychological testing?

Kinds of validity in Psychological Testing

There are various kinds of validity that play a pivotal role in Psychological Testing and in research sector.
It helps the researchers and academicians to find out accurate results with reliability and accuracy. Some
kids of validity are as under.
1.Face Validity

Face validity is the simplest and weakest type. Does the measurement instrument appear “on its face”
to measure the intended construct? For a survey that assesses thrill-seeking behavior, you’d expect it to
include questions about seeking excitement, getting bored quickly, and risky behaviors. If the survey
contains these questions, then “on its face,” it seems like the instrument measures the construct that
the researchers intend.

2- Content Validity

Content validity is similar to face validity—but it’s a more rigorous form. The process often involves
assessing individual questions on a test and asking experts whether each item appraises the
characteristics that the instrument is designed to cover. This process compares the test against the
researcher’s goals and the theoretical properties of the construct. Researchers systematically determine
whether each question contributes, and that no aspect is overlooked.

3-Criterion Validity

Criterion validity relates to the relationships between the variables in your dataset. If your data are
valid, you’d expect to observe a particular correlation pattern between the variables. Researchers
typically assess criterion validity by correlating different types of data. For whatever you’re measuring,
you expect it to have particular relationships with other variables.

4- Discriminant Validity

This type is the opposite of criterion validity. If you have valid data, you expect particular pairs of
variables to correlate positively or negatively. However, for other pairs of variables, you expect no
relationship.

5- Concurrent Validity

Concurrent validity evaluates the degree to which a measure of a construct correlates with other
simultaneous measures of that construct. For example, if you administer two different intelligence tests
to the same group, there should be a strong, positive correlation between their scores.

6- Construct Validity

A test with high construct validity correctly fits into the big picture with other constructs. Consequently,
this type incorporates aspects of criterion, discriminant, concurrent, and predictive validity. A construct
must correlate positively and negatively with the theoretically appropriate constructs, have no
correlation with the correct constructs, correlate with other measures of the same construct, etc.

How can be validity established in psychological testing?

To establish construct validity you must first provide evidence that your data supports the theoretical
structure. You must also show that you control the operationalization of the construct, in other words,
show that your theory has some correspondence with reality

stablishing validity in Testing.

In psychological testing, validity refers to the extent to which a test measures what it is intended to
measure. There are several ways to establish validity in psychological testing, including content validity,
criterion-related validity, construct validity, and face validity.

Content validity is established by examining the content of the test and determining whether it
adequately covers the domain being tested. This is typically done through expert judgment and review
of the test items. To establish content validity, the test should cover all aspects of the construct being
measured and should not include items that are irrelevant or unrelated to the construct.

Criterion-related validity is established by examining the relationship between the test scores and some
external criterion, such as performance on a related task or a diagnosis of a particular condition. There
are two types of criterion-related validity: concurrent validity and predictive validity. Concurrent validity
is established when the test scores are compared to scores on a related measure taken at the same
time. Predictive validity is established when the test scores are used to predict some future outcome.

Construct validity is established by examining the relationship between the test scores and other
measures of the same construct. This is typically done through factor analysis, which examines the
underlying factors that contribute to the test scores. To establish construct validity, the test scores
should correlate strongly with other measures of the same construct and should not correlate strongly
with measures of unrelated constructs.

Face validity is established by examining whether the test appears to measure what it is intended to
measure. This is typically done through subjective judgment and review of the test items. To establish
face validity, the test should appear to be relevant and appropriate to the individuals who will be taking
it.
In conclusion, establishing validity in psychological testing involves a rigorous process of examining the
content of the test, comparing it to external criteria, analyzing its underlying factors, and subjectively
judging its appropriateness. By using these methods, psychologists can ensure that their tests are valid
and useful measures of the constructs they are intended to measure.

Sample: No human subjects will be used in this research as it is a literature review.

Analysis: The data collected from the literature review will be analyzed using a thematic analysis
approach to identify common themes related to validity in psychological testing. The themes will be
organized and summarized to answer the research questions.

Discussion:

The findings of this study will provide insights into the different types of validity in psychological testing
and the methods used to establish validity. The study will help to clarify the concept of validity and its
importance in psychological testing. The discussion will also highlight the limitations and challenges of
establishing validity in psychological testing, such as the subjective nature of construct definition and the
need for appropriate external criteria for criterion-related validity.

Conclusion:

Validity is a critical concept in psychological testing that ensures that the phenomenon of accuracy and
reliability in psychology testing. It assists researchers and academicians to find out accurate results of
any test. Validity is of various kinds and it is being used in testing a number of samples and tests at
various levels.