A HISTORICAL COMPARISON OF VALIDITY STANDARDS AND VALIDITY PRACTICES

The present study examined the relationship between the validity theor y of the past 50 years with actual validity practices. This process in volved the comparison of validity requirements and theory as they appe ared in the published test standards (by the American Psychological As sociation, the American Educational Research Association, and the Nati onal Council on Measurement in Education) to the practices of measurem ent professionals. Each of the the four sets of test standards were op erationally defined and then compared to information and opinions abou t validity evidence expressed in the Mental Measurements Yearbook test reviews. Results from this process indicate that the theoretical modi fications to the concept of validity have been carried over into valid ity practice, However, it was also found that operational modification s to the concept of validity have been influenced by validity practice . Therefore, there appears to be a symbiotic relationship between theo ry and practice on the influence of Validity.