Stepping Outside the Normed Sample: Implications for Validity

ABSTRACT

We present considerations for validity when a population outside of a normed sample is assessed and those data are interpreted. Using a career group counseling example exploring life satisfaction changes as evidenced by the Quality of Life Inventory (Frisch, 1994), we showcase qualitative and quantitative approaches to explore how normative data could be a useful comparison to a dissimilar sample.

KEYWORDS:

• Normed sample
• normative sample
• validity

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Danica G. Hays

Danica G. Hays is Executive Associate Dean and Professor in the College of Education at the University of Nevada–Las Vegas.

Chris Wood

Chris Wood is Associate Professor in the Department of Counselor Education, School Psychology, and Human Services at the University of Nevada–Las Vegas.