Bidirectional validity approach¶
Research Method · All research methods
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 2 studies (2 associational),q2–q3· 0 of 2 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study
Description¶
The bidirectional validity approach examines a test's fairness by working backward from the criterion: examinees are matched on the outcome the test is supposed to predict (here, type of math course taken and grade received in first-year college math), and their test scores are compared. Wainer and Steinberg apply it to the SAT-M with "almost 47,000 men and women" and complement it with a prospective regression analysis of the same data. Differences in test scores among equally performing examinees indicate differences in the test's predictive validity across groups.
Accounts¶
- Bidirectional validity study: evaluating a test by matching examinees on the criterion the test predicts: The bidirectional validity approach examines a test's fairness by working backward from the criterion: examinees are matched on the outcome the test is supposed to predict (here, type of math course taken and grade received in first-year college math), and their test scores are compared. Wainer and Steinberg apply it to the SAT-M with "almost 47,000 men and women" and complement it with a prospective regression analysis of the same data. Differences in test scores among equally performing examinees indicate differences in the test's predictive validity across groups. (Howard Wainer (1992))
- Internal validity as precondition for game-based team assessment: The article frames validation research as preceding intervention research: before asking whether games train teams effectively, one must establish whether in-game measures relate to in-game team quality. "Internal validity implies that teams with better in-game performance also have better team quality, and vice versa. In-game team performance scores by themselves have very little external value." In-game performance serves as a proxy for team quality demonstrated during play, and unobtrusively logged game analytics (stealth assessment) are the key advantage of digital serious games for training and assessment. (Mayer (2018))
Claims¶
- Women scored about 33 SAT-M points lower than men who took the same math course and received the same grade [+M]
- Prospective regression analysis of the same data found somewhat larger sex differences in the same direction [+M]
- In-game avoidable mistakes in TEAMUP are significantly and markedly explained by team cohesiveness, not by team structure variables [+M]
Related Research Methods¶
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Key Sources¶
- Howard Wainer, Linda Steinberg. (1992). Sex Differences in Performance on the Mathematics Section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test: A Bidirectional Validity Study. Harvard Educational Review. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.62.3.1p1555011301r133
- Mayer, I. (2018). Assessment of Teams in a Digital Game Environment. Simulation & Gaming, 49(6), 602-619. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878118770831
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
research-method |
id |
bidirectional-validity-approach |
title |
Bidirectional validity approach |
description |
The bidirectional validity approach examines a test's fairness by working backward from the criterion: examinees are matched on the outcome the test is supposed to predict (here, type of math course taken and grade received in first-year college math), and their test scores are compared. |
status |
review |
generated |
by process:settle-candidates on 2026-10-15 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
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