Construct Validity: TIPS

1. ALWAYS logically justify your choice of indicators, never assume the validity is obvious
2. Point out weaknesses of construct validity before your potential critics have the opportunity to do so
3. Combining more than one indicator in an operational definition can help off-set potential weaknesses
4. Be creative, but provide logical arguments for each step

EXAMPLE: You are studying the concept "women's political participation." You choose percentage of female elected officials to be your indicator. By itself, this is weak. Strengthen your operational definition by adding other indicators, such as:

• percentage of women who are registered voters
• women's educational levels
• voting distribution by gender

If voting distribution for a particular party or candidate was split along gender lines, do women have the power to vote their candidates into office?

All of these indicators would be incorporated into the operational definition. The conceptual relevance of each indicator would need to be defended.

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