Evolving considerations and empirical approaches to construct validity in communication science

ABSTRACT For social sciences such as communication studies, in which key variables are often indirectly measured using myriad operationalizations, issues of construct validity are critical to the veracity of claims made from empirical data. This manuscript considers the ways we can improve how we demonstrate construct validity when using survey items. Some of these improvements are associated with our discussions of the sources of construct validity, and others are associated with the statistical analyses (and mistakes in those analyses) that we engage to demonstrate construct validity. The end goal of this manuscript is to review and reveal best practices for establishing construct validity as an incremental step in improving the quality of communication science.