Chapter 5. Validity: Definitions and Applications to Psychiatric Research

  1. Ming T. Tsuang4,5,
  2. Mauricio Tohen6,7
  1. Jill M. Goldstein1,
  2. John C. Simpson2,3

Published Online: 22 APR 2003

DOI: 10.1002/0471234311.ch5

Book Title

Textbook in Psychiatric Epidemiology, Second Edition

Textbook in Psychiatric Epidemiology, Second Edition

Additional Information

How to Cite

Goldstein, J. M. and Simpson, J. C. (2003) Validity: Definitions and Applications to Psychiatric Research, in Textbook in Psychiatric Epidemiology, Second Edition (eds M. T. Tsuang and M. Tohen), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, USA. doi: 10.1002/0471234311.ch5

Editor Information

  1. 4

    Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA

  2. 5

    Pediatric Psychopharmacology Unit, Psychiatry Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA

  3. 6

    Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN, USA

  4. 7

    Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02184, USA

Author Information

  1. 1

    Harvard Medical School at Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Harvard Institute of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Boston, MA 02115, USA

  2. 2

    Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Institute of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Genetics, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Boston, MA, USA

  3. 3

    VA Boston Healthcare System, Mental Health Careline, Boston, MA 02115, USA

Publication History

  1. Published Online: 22 APR 2003
  2. Published Print: 23 AUG 2002

ISBN Information

Print ISBN: 9780471409748

Online ISBN: 9780471234319

SEARCH

CHAPTER TOOLS

Get PDF (111K)

Keywords:

  • validity;
  • definitions;
  • applications;
  • psychiatric research;
  • validity of a construct;
  • relationships between variables

Summary

The authors present discussion of the concept and usage of validity and the process of “construct validity”. A discussion of validity as it applies to the internal validity and external validity of a presumed causal relationship is also included. The chapter concludes with examples of how validity is applied and statistically evaluated in psychiatric research.

Get PDF (111K)