What is a key characteristic of construct validity?

A key characteristic of construct validity is that it assesses whether a measure accurately represents the theoretical concept it is intended to measure. This means that the measurement tools and techniques used in research effectively capture the essence of the construct being studied. For example, if researchers aim to measure "intelligence," an assessment tool mustn't just correlate with other measures of intelligence but should also align with theoretical concepts of intelligence itself.

Construct validity encompasses various factors, such as content validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, all of which contribute to how well the measure embodies the underlying construct. By establishing strong construct validity, researchers ensure that the conclusions drawn from their studies are meaningful and relevant to the theoretical frameworks they are based upon.