STRENGTHENING THE CRITERION-RELATED VALIDITY OF PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS

Criterion-related validity is important for the growing area of profes sional certification. Several recent studies were identified that used expert ratings of the job performance of certified professionals as a validation criterion. These studies showed a strong relationship betw een expert ratings and certification but were susceptible to alternati ve interpretations due to design constraints. Inclusion of control con structs, aspects of a job that are not expected to differentiate betwe en certified and non-certified professionals, is presented as a simple , theory-based technique that can strengthen certification studies by providing an interaction test of criterion validity. Studies using sel f-ratings as a validation criterion for professional certification wer e less frequent. Importance-performance analysis, simultaneous analysi s of the importance of job components and the usefulness of the certif ication for these components, is presented as an analysis strategy for constructive use of self-ratings of certification effectiveness. Both techniques are illustrated from an evaluation of an information techn ology certification. The contributions of criterion-validity, over and above those of content validity, are discussed as an important facet of the development and evaluation of professional certifications. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.