Experimental Test Validation Examining the Path From Test Elements to Test Performance

Although the vast majority of validation studies rely on correlational validity evidence, there is an increased recognition that validity should also focus on whether variations in the focal psychological attribute lead to variations in the measurement outcomes. Therefore, calls have been made that validity evidence should also be gathered through experiments. Existing experimental validation strategies focus on manipulating psychological attributes and their effects on measurement outcomes. In the current manuscript, we present an additional and complementary approach that focuses on manipulating test elements (instead of psychological attributes) that are considered indispensable for test functioning. Examples from personality, situational judgment, emotional intelligence, and reading comprehension domains are presented to illustrate our approach. The presented approach is integrated into existing validation strategies.