During development of an instrument to measure self-esteem, the nurse researcher administered the instrument to individuals who were substance abusers and to individuals who were not substance abusers and anticipated a significant difference in scores. This method of establishing construct validity is categorized as what?
A) Factor analysis
B) Convergent validity
C) Discriminant validity
D) Contrasted-groups approach

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The method used in this scenario is the contrasted-groups approach, which is a type of construct validity. This approach compares scores on the instrument between two groups of people who are expected to differ on the construct being measured. In this case, the nurse researcher is comparing the scores of substance abusers with non-substance abusers, which is expected to result in a significant difference in self-esteem scores.
Factor analysis is a statistical method used to identify underlying dimensions, or factors, that explain patterns of correlations among a set of observed variables. It is not a method of establishing construct validity.
Convergent validity is a type of construct validity that examines the degree to which scores on a measure are related to scores on other measures of the same construct. This method is not used in the scenario described.
Discriminant validity is a type of construct validity that examines the degree to which scores on a measure are not related to scores on measures of other, unrelated constructs. This method is not used in the scenario described.

During Development of an Instrument to Measure Self-Esteem, the Nurse