Construct validity
Research Methods
Definition. Construct validity is the degree to which a measure actually captures the theoretical construct it is intended to measure.
Explanation
Cronbach and Meehl established the concept and its link to a nomological network of theoretical relationships (Cronbach & Meehl, 1955). Typologies distinguish convergent and discriminant evidence (Lim, 2024), and systematic reviews apply COSMIN to judge construct validity of instruments such as DASS-21 (Lee et al., 2019).
Related concepts
Validity Content validity Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) Measurement invariance
Read on The Health Topics
- Item-Level Content Overlap Analysis (Jingle–Jangle)
- The Multifaceted Nature of Validity in Research
- DASS-21 Measurement Properties: A Systematic Review
References
Cronbach, L. J., & Meehl, P. E. (1955). Construct validity in psychological tests. Psychological Bulletin, 52 (4), 281–302.
Lee, J., Lee, E. H., & Moon, S. H. (2019). Systematic review of the measurement properties of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales–21 by applying updated COSMIN methodology. Quality of Life Research, 28 (7), 1735–1753. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-019-02177-x
Lim, W. M. (2024). A typology of validity: content, face, convergent, discriminant, nomological and predictive validity. Journal of Trade Science, 12 (3), 155-179. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTS-03-2024-0016
Cite this entry: Kurutkan, M. N. (2026). Construct validity. In The Health Topics glossary. https://healthtopic.org/glossary/construct-validity/