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In Social Studies / College | 2025-07-06

It is possible for a measure to be valid even if the measure is not reliable?

True or False

Asked by davidsuum3

Answer (2)

It is possible for a measure to be valid without being reliable. Validity means the measure accurately reflects what it's intended to, while reliability means it produces consistent results. A measure can sometimes be valid but still show inconsistency in results, which indicates a lack of reliability.
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Answered by Anonymous | 2025-07-06

The statement "It is possible for a measure to be valid even if the measure is not reliable." is False .
To understand why, let's break down the terms:

Validity: This refers to how well a test measures what it is supposed to measure. If a measure is valid, it accurately represents the concept or construct it is intended to assess.

Reliability: This refers to the consistency of a measure. A reliable measure produces the same results under consistent conditions.


For a measure to be valid, it must be reliable. This is because if a measure is not reliable, it will produce inconsistent results, making it impossible to accurately assess the validity of those results. In other words, an unreliable measure introduces noise and errors that can distort the actual measurement, thus preventing it from being valid.
To use an analogy from testing, think of a measuring tape used to measure a table. If the tape measure stretches differently each time (lack of reliability), it cannot consistently measure the table correctly. Even if, by chance, it showed the correct length once, we would not consider it a valid tool for measurement because its results are not consistent.

Answered by BenjaminOwenLewis | 2025-07-07