Which term refers to the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to?

Which term refers to the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to?

• A. Reliability
• B. Qualitative Research
• C. Conscious mind
• D. Validity

Answer: (D)

Validity is about accuracy in measurement: how well a test measures the attribute it claims to measure and how well its scores relate to meaningful outcomes. It asks whether the test truly reflects the construct it’s intended to assess and whether predictions or interpretations based on the scores are appropriate. For example, a math ability test should align with actual math skills and predict future math performance. Reliability is about consistency—scores staying similar across items or retakes—but a test can be reliable yet fail to measure the intended construct. The other options don’t fit this idea: qualitative research is a different research approach, and the conscious mind is not a measurement concept in psychometrics.

Validity is about accuracy in measurement: how well a test measures the attribute it claims to measure and how well its scores relate to meaningful outcomes. It asks whether the test truly reflects the construct it’s intended to assess and whether predictions or interpretations based on the scores are appropriate. For example, a math ability test should align with actual math skills and predict future math performance. Reliability is about consistency—scores staying similar across items or retakes—but a test can be reliable yet fail to measure the intended construct. The other options don’t fit this idea: qualitative research is a different research approach, and the conscious mind is not a measurement concept in psychometrics.