validity (redirected from External validity)

validity

[valid′itē]

(in research) the extent to which a test measurement or other device measures what it is intended to measure. A data collection tool should accurately reflect the concept that it is intended to measure. Kinds of validity include construct validity, content validity, current validity, and predictive validity. Compare reliability.

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validity [vah-lid´ĭ-te]

the extent to which a measuring device measures what it intends or purports to measure.

construct validity the degree to which an instrument measures the characteristic being investigated; the extent to which the conceptual definitions match the operational definitions.

content validity verification that the method of measurement actually measures what it is expected to measure; see also face validity.

external validity the extent to which study findings can be generalized beyond the sample used in the study.

face validity a type of content validity, determining the suitability of a given instrument as a source of data on the subject under investigation, using common-sense criteria.

internal validity the extent to which the effects detected in a study are truly caused by the treatment or exposure in the study sample, rather than being due to other biasing effects of extraneous variables.

predictive validity the effectiveness of one set of test or research results as a predictor of the outcome of future experiments or tests.

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validity,

n the degree to which data or results of a study are correct or true.

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validity 

The extent to which a measurement correctly measures what it is supposed to measure or to which extent the findings of an investigation reflect the truth. In health sciences, validity is commonly assessed by determining the sensitivity and specificity factors. See reliability; sensitivity; specificity.