Some Thoughts on Gathering Response Processes Validity Evidence in the Context of Online Measurement and the Digital Revolution

The Digital Revolution has fundamentally changed how people think, communicate, and work. Moreover, increased use of the internet has resulted in more research being conducted online. Given that online data collection may be affected by differences in technology, mode-related design features, and respondents’ own technology-related skills and attitudes, it is important to validate the inferences made from measures administered online. Response processes refer to the series of steps or strategies a respondent uses in providing responses to test items. As a source of validity evidence, we are interested in whether these response processes are consistent with what we would expect when measuring the intended construct. Examining response processes can help inform if, and how, the online environment and online surveys may impact the inferences made from measures. At the same time, existing and emerging digital technologies provide opportunities to conduct response processes validation research in new and creative ways.