Scale Validity

For situations in which an empirically vetted scale does not exist or is not suitable, a custom scale may be created. This document presents a comprehensive process for establishing the defensible use of a custom scale. At the highest level, this process encompasses (1) establishing validity of the scale, (2) establishing reliability of the scale, and (3) assessing dimensionality, whether intended or unintended, of the scale. First, the concept of validity is described, including how validity may be established using operators and subject matter experts....

Psychological measurement is an important issue throughout the Department of Defense (DoD). Forinstance, the DoD engages in psychological measurement to place military personnel into specialties,evaluate the mental health of military personnel, evaluate the quality of human-systems interactions, andidentify factors that affect crime rates on bases. Given its broad use, researchers and decision-makers needto understand the basics of psychological measurement – most notably, the development of surveys. Thisbriefing discusses 1) the goals and challenges of psychological measurement, 2) basic measurementconcepts and how they apply to psychological measurement, 3) basics for developing scales to measurepsychological attributes, and 4) methods for ensuring that scales are reliable and valid....