Which type of validity focuses on whether a test captures the theoretical concept it intends to measure?

• A. Face validity
• B. Content validity
• C. Construct validity
• D. Ecological validity

Answer: (C)

Construct validity examines whether a test truly measures the theoretical concept it is intended to capture. To establish it, you analyze whether the way the construct is operationalized matches its defined meaning and whether the test’s results align with theoretical expectations across related measures and groups. For example, a tool meant to assess social-emotional competence should show relationships with other established measures of similar constructs (convergent validity) and weaker relationships with unrelated traits (discriminant validity), and its factor structure should reflect the theorized domains of the construct. This goes beyond how the test looks or whether its items cover a domain; it’s about the deeper alignment between what the construct is, how it’s measured, and how the results behave in practice. Face validity speaks to appearance, content validity to item coverage of the domain, and ecological validity to real-world applicability, which are not the same as whether the test truly captures the theoretical concept.