In a Word - Validity

Today I discuss the term “validity.”  Let’s say we wanted to develop a test that identifies pathological character traits or quantifies depression symptom burden on a patient.  A good test is going to do more than simply list the diagnostic criteria for various diagnoses and then ask the patient if they think that sounds like them.  A test needs to have a few things.  First it needs to have a defined purpose.  Is it to be used for diagnosis in a clinic or for research?  Is it going to measure symptoms in already diagnosed patients and track their response to therapy?  Is it meant to predict if a person would be a good candidate for something like being an astronaut or a member of the military?  Once the purpose is determined, then you need to define something called a construct, and then you have to determine the validity of that construct.Please leave feedback at https://www.psydactic.com or send any comments to [email protected] and readings (when available) are posted at the end of each episode transcript, located at psydactic.buzzsprout.com.  All opinions expressed in this podcast are exclusively those of the person speaking and should not be confused with the opinions of anyone else.  We reserve the right to be wrong.  Nothing in this podcast should be treated as individual medical advice.