Title
Validity generalization and situational specificity: An analysis of the prediction of first-year grades in law school
Abstract
Results from 726 validity studies were analyzed to
determine the degree of validity generalization of
the Law School Admission Test for predicting first-year
grades in law school. Four validity generalization
procedures were used and their results compared.
As much as 70% of the variance in observed
validity coefficients could be accounted for by differences
in the within-study variability of LSAT
scores, simple sampling error, and between-study
differences in criterion reliability. The 90% credibility
value for the true validities was estimated to be
.45, and the average true validity was estimated to
be .54. Despite the substantial degree of validity
generalization, law school and the year the study
was conducted explained significant portions of the
residual variance in validities. Thus, some degree of
situational specificity of validity remained.
Identifiers
other: doi:10.1177/014662168100500301
Previously Published Citation
Linn, Robert L, Harnisch, Delwyn L & Dunbar, Stephen B. (1981). Validity generalization and situational specificity: An analysis of the prediction of first-year grades in law school. Applied Psychological Measurement, 5, 281-289. doi:10.1177/014662168100500301
Suggested Citation
Linn, Robert L.; Harnisch, Delwyn L.; Dunbar, Stephen B..
(1981).
Validity generalization and situational specificity: An analysis of the prediction of first-year grades in law school.
Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy,
https://hdl.handle.net/11299/100383.