discriminant validity

n. Discriminant validity, a type of construct validity, is the extent to which a measure can effectively differentiate among various theoretical constructs. In essence, measures of different constructs should not be so highly correlated that they appear to measure the same thing. Discriminant validity is determined by examining the correlation of a measure across various indicators. For example, a measure of clinical depression would want to show that it could effectively differentiate between depression and anxiety. Low correlations provide evidence for discriminant validity.

- BJM