Arguing for validity: Structured evidence-based validation practice to improve PRO measurement

Modern validation practice requires a network of empirical evidence to determine what scores mean in relation to the theory of the construct being measured within a specific context and for a specific measurement purpose. The 2014 Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing 5 sources of validity evidence framework facilitates validation planning according to the validity research question being asked. Qualitative and quantitative research methods enable validity testing across the 5 sources: 1. The content of a measure; 2. the ways in which respondents process (cognitively engage with and respond to) items; 3. the extent to which the internal relationships of items conform to the scale construct; 4. the patterns of score relationships to other variables, as predicted by the construct; and 5. validity and intended and unintended consequences of measurement. This webinar reviews the evolution of validity testing theory and describes the 5 sources of validity evidence framework of the Standards, positioning it as a planning and reporting format for PROM validation studies. Examples of research questions and methods for evidence generation will be provided. The webinar will emphasize the importance of minimizing measurement biases and maximizing accurate, useful, and equitable PRO measurement in diverse populations. Importantly, rather than viewing validation as a binary notion of an instrument being valid or not valid, the focus of this webinar is on modern views of validation as a clear and coherent evidence-based argument (or rationale) about the extent to which score-based inferences are valid within a context and for a specific purpose.