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The concept of face validity

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Abstract

The concept of “face validity”, used in the sense of the contrast between “face validity” and “construct validity”, is conventionally understood in a way which is wrong and misleading. The wrong view had relatively limited consequences for research practice per se. However, it is a serious obstacle in theoretical discussions of certain “philosophical” or “foundational” issues. In this brief note I would like to point out the logical defect in the conventional position and correct it by making the necessary distinctions.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, University of South Florida, 33701, St. Petersburg, Florida

    Stephen P. Turner

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  1. Stephen P. Turner
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Presented to the Methodology Section of the 1977 Meetings of the Southern Sociological Society Atlanta, Georgia.

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Turner, S.P. The concept of face validity. Qual Quant 13, 85–90 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222826

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222826

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