Validity is a compliance measure that indicates how well the results obtained and the research methodology developed correspond to the objectives set. It is a fact that there are specific threats to such systems of evaluation of results. The purpose of this paper is to examine the different types of threats to the validity of test results and the impact of these risks on the assessment system.
Objectivity or bias of the results of any training program should be tested using different risk assessment methods. The reliability of the data obtained is examined by the expert for potential threats that may distort the objectivity of such measurements. In particular, it should be determined whether the methodology is valid or efficiency is only a random combination of external factors. Existing assessment threats may render the program useless in a general sample.
There are two types of program validity, including external and internal. External validity analyzes the possibility of extending the results of a specific study to the whole class of such situations. There are several risks to the validity of the data that can distort it (Noe & Peacock, 2008). Threats to external validity include the effect of interaction between trials (the effect of pre-testing), the impact of choice of the experimental group, and the conditions in which the experiment is organized.
Internal validity reflects the extent to which the results of the measurement of a dependent variable are due to a change in an independent variable rather than to some other uncontrollable factor. Threats that can distort the objectivity of research findings include history, natural development, testing effects, measurement instrument instability, and experimental dropout. The difference between internal and external threats is simple: the threats to external validity are related to how the subjects respond to inclusion in the study and the impact of different types of learning. Threats to internal validity provide confidence that the assessment results depend on the curriculum and not on other factors.
Threats to the validity of trial results can affect clinical data studies aimed at the correct treatment of patients. In such a case, minimizing threats to the credibility of the results can be beneficial to both the patient’s treatment system and the health care system as a whole. Therefore, since patients’ lives depend on the proper conduct of research and the validity of evaluations, the methodology for examining the validity of health outcomes needs to be improved.
Reference
Noe, R. A. (2002). Employee training and development (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.