Resumen
Introducción: La validez es un aspecto fundamental en la evaluación psicológica, ya que examina en qué medida las interpretaciones de las puntuaciones obtenidas mediante un instrumento respaldan su uso previsto. Aunque los estudios de validación son frecuentes, habitualmente reflejan las mismas fases y métodos (estudios piloto o evaluación de personas expertas), descuidando otras fuentes de evidencia que podrían mejorar las propiedades psicométricas de los instrumentos. Esta limitación se debe, en parte, a la falta de directrices, lo que a su vez dificulta que profesionales en áreas aplicadas y en investigación puedan desarrollar estudios de validación. Además, el enfoque tradicional centrado en métodos cuantitativos suele ignorar los beneficios potenciales de enfoques complementarios que contribuyan al diseño de estudios de validación más integrales. Método: Para abordar estos desafíos, el presente estudio introduce PROVAL, un protocolo de nueve pasos diseñado para guiar a los investigadores en la realización de estudios de validación. Resultados: PROVAL promueve un enfoque reflexivo que ayuda a identificar y priorizar las fuentes de evidencia de validez más relevantes según las necesidades específicas. Conclusiones: Se presenta una aplicación ilustrativa de PROVAL, que demuestra su utilidad para optimizar recursos y garantizar que los instrumentos cumplan eficazmente con sus propósitos previstos.
Citas
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