Validity and Reliability in Psychology

Validity refers to how accurately a test measures what it intends to measure. For example, if a test claims to assess intelligence, it should effectively evaluate cognitive abilities and not unrelated factors. Reliability, on the other hand, pertains to the consistency of a test results over time. A reliable test will yield similar outcomes if administered multiple times under the same conditions. In psychology, ensuring both validity and reliability is crucial for confidence in research findings and for using assessments that genuinely reflect an individual’s traits or behaviors.