Basic Concepts in SEM: Convergent and Discriminant Validity

In Structural Equation Modelling, a model is based on assessment of Measurement and Structural Model. First, measurement measurement models are assessed on the grounds of indicator reliability, internal consistency reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity.

Finally, Structural Model are assessed to substantiate the proposed hypotheses. In this section, i briefly discuss the concept of convergent and discriminant validity. In the preceding session, we delved into fundamental concepts such as factor loading, beta coefficient, and reliability. These concepts form integral components of the measurement model assessment, a subject we will continue exploring in this session and subsequent ones. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of measurement model assessment, a helpful resource distinguishes between measurement model assessment and structural model assessment, elucidating their connections to structural equation modeling.

Validating a measurement tool revolves around the concept of accuracy. The term that encapsulates this idea is “validity,” questioning the precision with which items or constructs are measured. The crucial inquiry is whether the construct is measuring precisely what it intends to measure. To address this statistically, one must establish statistical validity, specifically construct validity. Content validity and face validity, accomplished through existing research or expert opinions, contribute to construct validity.