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Test Validity: A Matter of Consequence

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Abstract

In this note I comment briefly on Keith Markus's illuminating article on “Science, measurement, and validity: Is completion of Samuel Messick's synthesis possible?” Markus's analysis bears directly on the controversial status of the consequential basis of test validity in relation to the more traditional evidential basis. After addressing some key points in his argument, I then comment more generally on sources of the controversy over the claim that empirical consequences of test interpretation and use constitute validity evidence.

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Messick, S. Test Validity: A Matter of Consequence. Social Indicators Research 45, 35–44 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006964925094

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006964925094

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