What type of validity is assessed when a test correlates well with an established measure?

• A. Construct validity
• B. Content validity
• C. Convergent validity
• D. Discriminant validity

Answer: (C)

The correct answer is convergent validity, which refers to the degree to which two measures that are theoretically related correlate with one another. When a test shows strong correlation with an established measure that it is supposed to assess, it implies that both measures are capturing the same underlying construct. This is particularly valuable in validating a new test, as it indicates that the new instrument is working as intended and aligns well with existing measures that are known to be valid.

Convergent validity is often evaluated alongside discriminant validity, which ensures that a measure does not correlate too strongly with measures of different constructs. While construct validity encompasses both convergent and discriminant validity, it is more general and includes the overarching concept of how well a test measures what it purports to measure. On the other hand, content validity assesses whether the test content is representative of the construct being measured, focusing on the relevance and adequacy of the items rather than their correlation with established measures.