The Multitrait-Multimethod Matrix at 50!

Fifty years ago, in 1959, Campbell and Fiske published one of the most influential papers in psychology. In their article Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix, they argued that it is not sufficient to consider one single operationalization of one construct for purposes of test validation but that multiple measures of multiple constructs are necessary. Campbell and Fiske recommended using at least two methods that are as different as possible for measuring the constructs. Moreover, Campbell and Fiske made clear that it is not possible to get a measure of a trait that is free of method-specific influences. This special issue is dedicated to honoring Campbell and Fiske’s influential work. It presents three different modern approaches for analyzing MTMM data. All contributors use the same data set illustrating their approaches. This enables readers to concentrate on the comparison of the different approaches with respect to the way convergent and discriminant validity can be analyzed as well as how trait- and method-specific influences can be identified and quantified. We hope that the readers will enjoy seeing how this important field of methodological research has developed over the last years.

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