Which type of validity is primarily concerned with how well a test measures the intended theoretical construct?

• A. Content validity
• B. Criterion validity
• C. Predictive validity
• D. Construct validity

Answer: (D)

Construct validity is about whether a test truly measures the theoretical attribute it’s designed to assess. It examines how the test behaves in relation to other measures that are theoretically related (convergent validity) and unrelated (discriminant validity), and it looks at the test’s internal structure to ensure items align with the intended construct. Content validity, by contrast, asks whether the items cover the domain adequately. Criterion validity checks alignment with an external standard, with predictive validity focusing on future outcomes. Since the question asks about measuring the intended theoretical construct, construct validity is the best fit.