Psychological assessment measurements are appraised based on two key measurement constructs: reliability and validity. Reliability of an assessment denotes how consistent the test scores are after repeated executions of the assessment. The reliability of an assessment is necessary and is a foundation to build upon for validity. Validity is the second key measurement construct that deals with the degree to which “the evidence exists to support the various inferences, interpretations, conclusions, or decisions that will be made on the basis of a test” (Weathers, Keane, Davidson, 2001). There are various methods used to assess the reliability and validity of an assessment.
DAPS
The reliability of the DAPS is based on a clinical, community, …show more content…
The CAPS-5 was based on the DSM-V’S diagnostic standards for PTSD and closely adheres to these standards and the construct of PTSD, thus satisfying content validity. PTSD is currently viewed as a multifaceted syndrome composed of symptom clusters. If this is in fact the case, then the items associated with the cluster should correlate with one another as opposed to symptoms in other clusters (Weathers et al., 2001). “Factor analysis, especially confirmatory factor analysis, in which competing hypotheses about the nature of PTSD can be directly compared, is another means of evaluating the internal structure of the CAPS” (Weathers et al., p. 137, …show more content…
Evidence of this has been found in convergent evidence, which shows how strong the associations are between the CAPS-5 and other PTSD measures. Then there is the discriminant evidence, which shows how weak the correlations are between the CAPS and measures of different constructs. Other factors such as the “evidence of test-criterion relationships, showing the correspondence between the CAPS and a criterion such as a PTSD diagnosis or an indicator of clinically significant improvement in PTSD symptom severity” (Weathers et al., p. 137, 2001) and “evidence that groups formed on the basis of the CAPS differ as hypothesized on some characteristic or behavior” also support the validity of (Weathers et al., p. 137,
DAPS
The reliability of the DAPS is based on a clinical, community, …show more content…
The CAPS-5 was based on the DSM-V’S diagnostic standards for PTSD and closely adheres to these standards and the construct of PTSD, thus satisfying content validity. PTSD is currently viewed as a multifaceted syndrome composed of symptom clusters. If this is in fact the case, then the items associated with the cluster should correlate with one another as opposed to symptoms in other clusters (Weathers et al., 2001). “Factor analysis, especially confirmatory factor analysis, in which competing hypotheses about the nature of PTSD can be directly compared, is another means of evaluating the internal structure of the CAPS” (Weathers et al., p. 137, …show more content…
Evidence of this has been found in convergent evidence, which shows how strong the associations are between the CAPS-5 and other PTSD measures. Then there is the discriminant evidence, which shows how weak the correlations are between the CAPS and measures of different constructs. Other factors such as the “evidence of test-criterion relationships, showing the correspondence between the CAPS and a criterion such as a PTSD diagnosis or an indicator of clinically significant improvement in PTSD symptom severity” (Weathers et al., p. 137, 2001) and “evidence that groups formed on the basis of the CAPS differ as hypothesized on some characteristic or behavior” also support the validity of (Weathers et al., p. 137,