Final answer:
The statement is false. Validity refers to how accurately a result measures what it is intended to measure, whereas reliability refers to the consistency of the measurement. An instrument must be both reliable and valid to be considered effective in accurately reflecting the concept being studied.
Step-by-step explanation:
False, validity is not simply a technical term for effectiveness; rather, it refers to the accuracy of a given result in measuring what it is designed to measure. For example, in the context of research, validity ensures that a study or measuring instrument accurately reflects the concept it's intended to assess. Forms of validity like ecological validity, construct validity, and face validity are different ways researchers assess whether their studies or tools are accurate. While reliability implies consistency in measurement, it doesn't guarantee validity. Reliability is the degree to which an instrument yields consistent results, as in test-retest reliability or inter-rater reliability. However, an instrument could reliably measure an outcome consistently but still do so inaccurately if it's not valid—similar to a miscalibrated kitchen scale that measures cereal with consistent but incorrect results. An effective operational definition in research needs to be reliable and valid, ensuring that it can be consistently applied and truly reflects the phenomenon being