Face Validity
Kodi Havins
AED 615
Dr. Franklin
Fall 2006
Validity
Definition:
Refers to the appropriateness,
meaningfulness, correctness, and
usefulness of any inferences a researcher
draws based on data obtained through he
use of an instrument ( Fraenkel &
Wallen, 2006).
Face Validity
“The extent to which an
instrument looks as if it
measures what it is intended
to measure” (Patton, 1997)
Face Validity in Research

If one can look at an instrument and
understand what is being measure,
it has face validity (Patton, 1997).
Face Validity in Research


Measurement experts generally hold face
validity in low regards.
Predicative validity, concurrent validity,
and construct validity are methods much
more preferred by psychometricians
(Patton, 1997).
Face Validity in Research
Example:
 The board of directors of a major firm want to
decentralize organizational decision in hopes
of raising worker moral (Patton, 1997).
 To test the Face Validity, the executives of the
firm should evaluate the instrument first, to
make sure the instrument is evaluating what
they want to know (Patton, 1997).
Face Validity
Face validity criteria can be applied to
design questions (Patton, 1997).
Face Validity ~Used to Design
Questions
One should ask these questions:





“Do intended users understand the design?”
“Does it make sense to them?”
“Do they appreciate the implications of comparing
Program A with Program B?”
“Do they know why the design includes, or does
not include, a control group?”
“Is the sample size sufficiently large to be
believable?”
(Patton, 1997)
Face Validity

Face Validity is used the same in
Qualitative Research and Quantitative
Research because one is looking at what
the instrument is testing for.
JAE Link ~ Face Validity
DEVELOPING A SCALE TO RESEARCH
AND EVALUATE YOUTH LEADERSHIP
LIFE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
By: Brenda S. Seevers, Thomas J. Dormody, Dennis L. Clason
http://pubs.aged.tamu.edu/jae/pdf/vol36/36-02-28.pdf
JAE Link ~ Face Validity
HANDLING NONRESPONSE IN SOCIAL
SCIENCE RESEARCH
By: James R. Lindner, Tim H. Murphy, Gary E. Briers
http://pubs.aged.tamu.edu/jae/pdf/vol42/42-04-43.pdf
References
Fraenkel, J.R. and Wallen, N.E. (2006). How to
Design and Evaluate Research in Education.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
Patton, M.Q. (1997). Utilization-Focused
Evaluation. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage
Publications.
Thank You
Have a great day!