What does face validity refer to in test evaluation?

Face validity refers specifically to the superficial or intuitive assessment of a test's measurement capabilities from an external viewpoint. It is concerned with whether the items on the test appear to measure what they are intended to measure, based solely on the judgment of individuals who are not necessarily experts in the field. For instance, if a test claims to measure anxiety but contains items that do not seem relevant to that concept, it would be perceived as lacking face validity. Thus, face validity is about the appearance of the test and how clearly its items relate to the topic at hand as judged by a layperson or test-taker.

The other options provide definitions for different types of validity or test quality. The first option describes construct validity, which assesses whether the test truly measures the theoretical construct it is meant to measure. The third option speaks to test-retest reliability, focusing on the consistency of scores over different time periods. The final option addresses predictive validity, which is about how well a test predicts future behavior or outcomes related to what the test is designed to assess. Each of these concepts is related to the overall quality of a test but addresses different aspects, whereas face validity is strictly about perceived appropriateness based on appearance.