Concept validation

Here are some verbatim goals that we have encountered involving concept validation: 

• "Do our customers understand that we are a dropshipper? Does it make them insecure or confuse them?"
• "We have a high-end, tasteful, design-oriented app, targeted at a broad audience. Are users attracted by this? Do they understand the goal of the app?"
• "Our app's purpose is to bring avid readers together. Do our users agree with this statement?"

This can be a valid goal for a usability study, insofar as the concept is reflected in the usage of the product. Asking participants whether they understand the concept behind a given product that they have been asked to test is acceptable because the underlying question is whether the product clearly explains the concept. Asking this question without giving the users the chance to actually use the product is more of a market research study.