What is criterion validity, and what are its two forms?

• A. The stability of scores over time; test-retest and parallel forms.
• B. The extent to which a test covers its content; content and face validity.
• C. How well a measure relates to an external criterion; predictive validity and concurrent validity.
• D. How well a test predicts what the test-taker will do on a future task.

Answer: (C)

Criterion validity asks how well a measure relates to an external standard or outcome that it should be related to. The two forms are concurrent validity, where the criterion is measured at roughly the same time as the test, and predictive validity, where the criterion is measured in the future. For example, a hiring test showing a strong correlation with current job performance demonstrates concurrent validity, while a test that strongly predicts future job performance demonstrates predictive validity. To assess this type of validity, researchers correlate test scores with the external criterion and look for a meaningful, statistically significant relationship.

The other options describe different psychometric concepts. One focuses on how stable scores are over time, which is about reliability rather than validity. Another pair concerns validity types that assess whether the test covers content or appears to measure what it’s supposed to measure, which are not criterion-based. The remaining statement captures the idea of predicting a future outcome but doesn’t specify the need to relate the test to an external criterion at the same time or in the future, making it incomplete for describing criterion validity.