Define cost, interpretation, and face validity as they relate to selecting a test and describe some things to consider for each of them.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Measurement cost is a very practical consideration. Most users operate within a budget and, therefore, must choose a procedure that will satisfy their cost constraints. A complete cost analysis includes direct as well as indirect costs. Direct costs may include the price of software or test booklets (some are reusable), answer sheets, scoring, and reporting services. Indirect costs (which may or may not be of consequence depending on the particular setting) may include time to prepare the test materials, examiner or interviewer time, and time for interpreting and reporting test scores. Users are well advised to make the most realistic cost estimates possible prior to committing themselves to the measurement effort. Sound advance planning can eliminate subsequent “surprises.”
Managers frequently assume that since a test can be administered by almost any educated person, it can be interpreted by almost anyone. Not so. In fact, this is one aspect of HR practice that frequently is overlooked. Test interpretation includes more than a simple written or verbal reporting of test scores. Adequate interpretation requires thorough awareness of the strengths and limitations of the measurement procedure, the background of the examinee, the situation in which the procedure was applied, and the consequences that the interpretation will have for the examinee. Unquestionably, misinterpretation of test results by untrained and incompetent persons is one of the main reasons for the dissatisfaction with psychological testing (and other measurement procedures) felt by many in our society. Fortunately, many test vendors now require that potential customers fill out a “user-qualification form” before a test is sold.
A final consideration is face validity--that is, whether the measurement procedure looks like it is measuring the trait in question (Shotland, Alliger, & Sales, 1998). Face validity does not refer to validity in the technical sense, but is concerned rather with establishing rapport and good public relations. In research settings, face validity may be a relatively minor concern, but when measurement procedures are being used to help make decisions about individuals (e.g., in employment situations), face validity may be an issue of signal importance because it affects the applicants’ motivation and reaction to the procedure. If the content of the procedure appears irrelevant, inappropriate, or silly, the result will be poor cooperation, regardless of the technical superiority of the procedure. To be sure, if the examinees’ performance is likely to be affected by the content of the procedure, then, if at all possible, select a procedure with high face validity.