Which of the following terms refer to the degree to which an instrument measures what it is supposed to be measured?
A. Validity
B. Reliability
C. Meaningfulness
D. Sensitivity
Correct Answer: A. Validity
Validity is ensuring that the instrument contains appropriate questions about the research topic. Validity is the extent to which the results really measure what they are supposed to measure. A valid measurement is generally reliable: if a test produces accurate results, it should be reproducible.
Option B: Reliability is the repeatability of the instrument; it can elicit the same responses even with varied administration of the instrument. In simple terms, research reliability is the degree to which research method produces stable and consistent results. A specific measure is considered to be reliable if its application on the same object of measurement a number of times produces the same results.
Option C: Meaningfulness is taking that statistic and determining its applicability out in the real world. So all too often researchers get caught up in chasing statistical significance. And while that’s part of statistics, the focus should tie back to the real world.
Option D: Sensitivity is an attribute of the instrument that allows the respondents to distinguish differences in the options where to choose from. Sensitivity is one of four related statistics used to describe the accuracy of an instrument for making a dichotomous classification (i.e., positive or negative test outcome). Of these four statistics, sensitivity is defined as the probability of correctly identifying some condition or disease state.