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Correlational research is frequently utilized to assess the reliability and validity of psychological measurements. For example, to evaluate the validity of a new, brief extraversion test, a researcher might administer it to a large group alongside a longer, established extraversion test. By checking if the scores on the brief test strongly correlate with the scores on the longer test, the researcher can determine the new test's validity. In these methodological evaluations, neither variable is assumed to cause the other, so the terms independent and dependent variable do not apply.

Using Correlation to Establish Measurement Reliability and Validity

To evaluate the validity of their new Need for Cognition Scale, Cacioppo and Petty utilized a complex correlational approach. They measured participants' scores on the new scale alongside three other established variables—intelligence, socially desirable responding, and dogmatism—and constructed a correlation matrix; the resulting pattern of correlations supported their theoretical predictions and thus the validity of the new measure.

Example of Assessing Validity via Correlation Matrix

When using correlational research to evaluate the validity of a new psychological measurement by comparing it to an established test, the new measurement is classified as the independent variable.

A researcher develops a new 10-item shyness questionnaire and administers it alongside a well-established 50-item shyness scale to 200 participants. She then calculates the correlation between participants' scores on the two measures and finds a strong positive correlation. What does this strong positive correlation suggest about the new 10-item questionnaire?

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