Face validity
Definition: A subjective judgement of how suitable a measure appears to be on the surface, that is, how well a measure is operationalized. For example, judging whether questionnaire items should relate to a construct of interest at face value. Face validity is related to construct validity, but since it is subjective/informal, it is considered an easy but weak form of validity.
Related terms: Construct Validity, Content Validity, Logical Validity, Operationalization, Validity
Reference:
- Holden, R. B. (2010). Face Validity. In I. B. Weiner & W. E. Craighead (Eds.), The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology (4th ed.). Wiley. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy0341
Originally drafted by: Annalise A. LaPlume
Reviewed by: Helena Hartmann, Kai Krautter, Adam Parker, Sam Parsons