validity, predictive

n. Predictive validity is the extent to which a measure or test score can predict future performance or behavior on a theoretically relevant construct. Predictive validity is obtained by examining the correlation between a given measure and a known outcome. For example, one may theorize that scores obtained from standardized tests taken in high school (such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test [SAT]) should be a predictor of success in college. The predictive validity of the standardized tests could be obtained by examining the correlation of SAT scores with the grade-point average of college graduates; a high correlation between these two measures would provide evidence for the predictive validity of the standardized tests. – BJM