Final answer:
Confirmatory value relates to how information from a measurement verifies a hypothesis, with reliability referring to consistency and validity to accuracy of measurement. While reliable measures are consistent, they are not necessarily valid unless they accurately assess what they are meant to measure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Confirmatory Value in the Context of Reliability and Validity
The term confirmatory value, sometimes referred to as feedback value, involves determining the degree to which information from a measurement or assessment verifies or supports a prior understanding or hypothesis. Reliability and validity are two foundational concepts in this context. Reliability refers to the consistency of a measuring instrument: its ability to produce stable and consistent results over time. Varieties of reliability include inter-rater reliability, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. However, a reliable measure doesn't necessarily indicate that what is being measured is accurate or correct. For example, a kitchen scale that consistently gives the wrong weight is reliable in its consistency but not accurate in its measurement, which leads to the concept of validity. Validity assesses the accuracy of the measurement, whether an instrument or tool actually measures what it's intended to measure. Types of validity include ecological validity, construct validity, and face validity.
Confirmation value in research pertains to the validation of empirical hypotheses by observing whether the results match expectations, which would support the hypothesis. Such confirmation, however, doesn't guarantee certainty but increases the credibility of the hypothesis. Through repeated validation, the hypothesis gathers support, contributing to the body of evidence that supports its accuracy within the scope of the study.