Face validity is best described as:

• A. The actual measurement of the construct.
• B. The reliability of the test across administrations.
• C. The correlation with future outcomes.
• D. The appearance of validity to test-takers and administrators, regardless of actual measurement.

Answer: (D)

Face validity is about how valid a test appears to be to the people who take it or administer it, based on its surface features, not on any evidence about how well it actually measures the intended construct. It’s subjective and informal, and it doesn’t guarantee real measurement accuracy. This is why it’s described as the appearance of validity to test-takers and administrators, regardless of actual measurement. In contrast, reliability across administrations refers to consistency, predictive validity relates to how well results forecast future outcomes, and actual measurement of the construct aligns with empirical evidence of validity.