Which concept is demonstrated when a new measure correlates strongly with other established measures of the same construct?

Which concept is demonstrated when a new measure correlates strongly with other established measures of the same construct?

• A. Reliability
• B. Discriminant validity
• C. Convergent validity
• D. Face validity

Answer: (C)

Convergent validity is shown when a new measure correlates strongly with other established measures of the same construct. This strong alignment indicates the instrument is actually tapping into the intended trait rather than something else, supporting that it measures what it’s supposed to measure. This is a core part of construct validity, confirming that different ways of assessing the same concept converge on related results. By contrast, reliability focuses on consistency of scores, such as stability over time or across items, rather than on relationships with other measures. Discriminant validity, on the other hand, looks for low correlations with measures of different constructs to show the instrument isn’t measuring something unrelated. Face validity is about whether the measure appears to assess the right thing at face value, which is more subjective and not a test of its actual relationship with other established measures.

Convergent validity is shown when a new measure correlates strongly with other established measures of the same construct. This strong alignment indicates the instrument is actually tapping into the intended trait rather than something else, supporting that it measures what it’s supposed to measure. This is a core part of construct validity, confirming that different ways of assessing the same concept converge on related results. By contrast, reliability focuses on consistency of scores, such as stability over time or across items, rather than on relationships with other measures. Discriminant validity, on the other hand, looks for low correlations with measures of different constructs to show the instrument isn’t measuring something unrelated. Face validity is about whether the measure appears to assess the right thing at face value, which is more subjective and not a test of its actual relationship with other established measures.