Validity Coefficient
It is important to consider several important factors when interpreting the meaning of a validity coefficient, especially as it applies to various practical situations. For example, a relatively low validity coefficient might be alright in certain situations. If a branch of the armed forces needed to recruit large numbers of new members in a short period of time, it would be flexible in interpreting the meaning of a particular study's validity coefficient. On the other hand, situations might demand a narrow interpretation of the validity coefficient. Using a similar example, if individuals were being screened for entry into a specialized division of the secret services, the factors related to the validity coefficient would be far more meaningful. The factors that impact the validity coefficient are generally related to the cost-benefit ratio.
The above examples of military recruitment illustrate the various factors affecting the validity coefficient. In situations in which large numbers of recruits are needed in a short period of time, strident criteria are less meaningful than numbers. In other words, quantity outweighs quality.
On the other hand, in situations in which small numbers of recruits can fulfill a small number of needed military positions, the validity coefficient becomes more meaningful. If level of higher education was found to be a statistically significant factor in the success of the individual working in the intelligence community, then the commanding officer would want to narrow the department's search to only those applicants who possessed Masters degrees or higher.
Because social scientific studies vary considerably, validity coefficients increase with the number of studies performed. For example, if one study proves that people with Bachelor's degrees earn ten percent more than their counterparts who have Master's degrees, the validity coefficient would be low. The low number of participants in the study relative to the greater population would mean that the study was less valid than those that included a larger number of participants. If a meta-analysis concluded that individuals with Master's degrees actually earned twice as much as individuals with Bachelor's degrees, then the validity coefficient would be greater due to the increased number of subjects involved. Therefore, the factors that impact the meaning of a validity coefficient include size of the population as well as the cost-benefit ration of the coefficient's application.
