for Teachers for Schools for Enterprise
for Teachers for Schools for Enterprise
Course Navigator
Rorschach Test: Definition, History & InterpretationNext Lesson 

Predictive Validity in Psychology: Definition & Examples

Chapter 6 /  Lesson 23   Transcript
Start Your Free Trial Today

An error occurred trying to load this video.

Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support.

Coming up next: Rorschach Test: Definition, History & Interpretation

You're on a roll. Keep up the good work!

Take Quiz Watch Next Lesson
 Replay
Your next lesson will play in 10 seconds
  • 0:01 Definition of…
  • 1:30 Example
  • 4:04 Lesson Summary
Add to Add to Add to

Want to watch this again later?

Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course.

Login or Sign up

Timeline
Autoplay
Autoplay

Recommended Lessons and Courses for You

Lesson Transcript
Instructor: Chris Clause
In this lesson, you will learn to define predictive validity and learn about how it can be used in practical settings. Following completion of this lesson, you will have the opportunity to test your knowledge with a short quiz.

Definition of Predictive Validity in Psychology

When developing assessment tools, validity is crucial. In general, validity refers to how well a test or assessment actually measures what it intends to measure.

So, if you were completing a survey designed to measure your level of affinity for chocolate, you would expect the results to provide you and the assessment administrator with information related to how much you enjoy chocolate, right? It sounds simple enough, but often, other unexpected variables can interfere and impact how well the assessment measures what it intends to measure.

For example, if you really love to eat chocolate, but you have an allergy to it, questions about how often you eat chocolate alone might not accurately measure your level of affinity for chocolate. You may love chocolate, but if your allergy prohibits you from eating it, then an assessment that relies on that type of question would not be considered a valid assessment of chocolate affinity.

Predictive validity is a specific type of validity that helps to address the question, 'Does this assessment measure what it is intended to measure and can the results be used to predict things about the participants?' As the name implies, predictive validity addresses how well a specific tool predicts future behavior.

Predictive validity is determined by calculating the correlation coefficient between the results of the assessment and the subsequent targeted behavior. The stronger the correlation between the assessment data and the target behavior, the higher the degree of predictive validity the assessment possesses. Conversely, a weak correlation between the assessment data and the target behavior indicates low levels of predictive validity.

Example

Let's look at an example to help explain predictive validity in a more practical context.

It's pretty common for employers to ask applicants to complete a personality assessment as part of the application process for employment. It might not always seem obvious to the applicant, but many online applications will include a series of questions designed to assess a variety of personality traits. Let's use the personality trait of conscientiousness as an example. Since conscientiousness is positively correlated with things like honesty, timeliness, and good organization skills, it makes sense that employers would want to hire people with those traits.

So, what does this have to do with predictive validity? Well, if the personality assessment used in the application process does not accurately tap into and measure the applicant's conscientiousness, then the assessment results are not going to provide information that has any predictive value to the hiring managers. If employers desire conscientious employees, then they need to be confident they are selecting conscientious employees, right?

To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account

Register for a free trial

Are you a student or a teacher?

Unlock Your Education

See for yourself why 30 million people use Study.com

Become a Study.com member and start learning now.
Become a Member  Back
What teachers are saying about Study.com
Free 5-day trial
Description

Earning College Credit

Did you know… We have over 160 college courses that prepare you to earn credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. You can test out of the first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Anyone can earn credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level.

To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page

Transferring credit to the school of your choice

Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Study.com has thousands of articles about every imaginable degree, area of study and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you.

Research Schools, Degrees & Careers

Get the unbiased info you need to find the right school.

Browse Articles By Category

Browse an area of study or degree level.

Recommended Articles
You are viewing lesson Lesson 23 in chapter 6 of the course:

 Back To Course

Intro to Psychology: Help and Review

14 chapters | 342 lessons | 1 flashcard set

Ch 6. Cognition: Help and Review
Ch 7. Motivation and Emotion: Help and...

Predictive Validity in Psychology: Definition & Examples Related Study Materials

Create an account to start this course today
Try it free for 5 days!
Create an account

Explore our library of over 75,000 lessons

Browse by subject
Support