Why Is It Important To Construct Validity In Research

Validity is important in determining how accurate the research is. Construct validity is a type of validity that shows whether or not the test used to measure a trait actually does measure it. It is difficult to measure traits as they are not physical objects that one could measure, therefore it is important for a researcher to find construct validity to ensure that their survey or experiment or other form of test does in fact measure the intended trait. To show that a measure of a trait has construct validity a researcher would have to design the measure in a way that will produce observable results. For example, if one was to measure coldness or hostility they may observe how the participant acts while being examined. They may smile less or speak less than a person with a warmer personality. If the test claims that the participant who smiles less is more hostile, the researcher can likely confirm that the measure does in fact test hostility. If the test claims that a participant who smiles often is hostile, the researcher may question the construct validity. …show more content…
The nomological network takes all of the empirical findings into consideration that contribute to the theory of a certain construct. A researcher will note if a participant’s behaviour reflects his or her results on the test which would contribute to the nomological network. Continuing with the earlier example of measuring hostility, perhaps the participant not only smiles less than a friendly person, he or she may also show disinterest in being part of the study, may take offense to certain questions, and may even act rudely to the researcher. All of these behaviours are empirical findings that a researcher can add to the nomological network. This will increase the construct validity of the researcher’s