Validity

Definition

The degree to which a test or study measures what it claims to measure.

Example

 A questionnaire designed to measure "emotional intelligence" but which only includes questions about factual knowledge (What is the capital of the United States?) has low validity because it does not measure what it claims to measure.

The questions on this questionnaire are unrelated to the construct it is intended to measure, resulting in low validity.

Why It Matters

Validity matters because it tells us whether a study or test is actually measuring what it says it is. If the tool doesn’t match the concept, the results won’t be meaningful — no matter how consistent they are. High validity makes research findings more trustworthy and useful in real-world settings.

Related Terms

• reliability
• measurement