AIM GlossaryBrowse the glossary:
structural validity
— The extent to which the questionnaire’s structure aligns with theoretical expectations.
Full explanation:
Structural validity is how well the items relate to each other as suggested by the theoretical model. For example, if a measure has two subscales, do the items in each of the respective subscales correlate strongly with each other and weakly with the items in the other subscale. Independent studies replicating the factor structure confirm structural validity.
Structural validity can be assessed using factor analyses:
Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA): Used to explore the structure of a measure.
Interpretation:
Item loadings > .4,
no cross-loadings > .32,
strong factor loadings (good =.55, very good =.63, excellent =0.71).
Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA): Used to test a pre-specified model.
Interpretation:
• CFI > .95
• TLI > .95
• RMSEA < .08
• SRMR < .06
Structural validity can be assessed using factor analyses:
Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA): Used to explore the structure of a measure.
Interpretation:
Item loadings > .4,
no cross-loadings > .32,
strong factor loadings (good =.55, very good =.63, excellent =0.71).
Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA): Used to test a pre-specified model.
Interpretation:
• CFI > .95
• TLI > .95
• RMSEA < .08
• SRMR < .06
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