How do reliability and validity differ in psychological testing?

Reliability and validity are crucial concepts in psychological testing, and understanding their differences is essential. Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure, meaning that a reliable test will yield the same results under consistent conditions over time. For instance, if a psychological assessment is administered multiple times to the same individual and produces similar outcomes each time, it demonstrates high reliability.

Validity, on the other hand, concerns the accuracy of a test — whether the test truly measures what it claims to measure. A valid test provides an accurate representation of the psychological construct it aims to assess, such as intelligence, personality traits, or emotional states. For example, if a test is designed to measure anxiety, it should accurately capture the aspects of anxiety rather than measuring unrelated constructs.

In summary, the correct answer highlights that reliability emphasizes the consistency of a test's results, while validity focuses on how accurately the test reflects the true characteristic it is intended to measure. This distinction is fundamental in ensuring that psychological assessments are both reliable and meaningful in their evaluations.