Validity

Cards (28)

  • The validity of any method of measurement refers to how truly/ realistically it measures something.
  • A valid test measures what it is supposed to measure.
  • Internal validity is how much the findings of a test or method are due to the manipulation of a variable (like IV) rather than another factor.
  • A method or test has good internal validity if the findings do result from the manipulation of the independent variable on the outcome of dependent variable.
  • Internal Validity-
    This refers to whether the changes in the DV are due to the manipulation of the IV and not something else.
  • For example
    Internal Validity asks the question-
    Did the study measure what it was intended to?
  • External validity is how much the findings of a test or method can be generalised to different settings.
  • External validity includes how much the findings can be generalised to other environments (ecological validity)
  • External validity includes how much the findings can be generalised to other people (population validity).
  • Ecological validity is whether the findings are generalisable to the real world, based on the conditions research conducted.
  • Ecological Validity-
    The extent to which findings from a study can be generalised to other settings and situations. A form of formal validity.
  • Questions which external validity asks:
    Is the setting natural?
    Is the task realistic or artificial?
  • Laboratory experiments have a high degree of control over extraneous variables that would otherwise vary in a natural environment, so results might be considered too ‘artificial’ and this lowers the ecological validity.
  • Population validity refers to the extent to which the sample can be generalised to similar and wider populations.
  • Criterion validity refers to the extent to which the results and conclusions are valid compared with other measures.
  • Criterion validity is split into two types of validity; predictive validity and concurrent validity.
  • Construct validity asks whether a measure successfully measures the concept it is supposed to.
  • Concurrent validity asks whether a measure is in agreement with pre-existing measures, that are validated to test for the same/ similar concepts.
  • Internal validity is high when there is good control over variables and greater confidence of cause and effect.
  • Temporal validity is high when research findings successfully apply across time (valid in today's society).
  • Changes in attitude towards gender roles over time could lower the temporal validity of data from past experiments when applied to modern day research.
  • Face validity is whether the test or measure actually looks like it is measuring what it is supposed to be measuring.
  • Construct validity is whether the test or measure, actually assesses the theory that it is supposed to be measuring.
  • Concurrent validity is whether there is agreement with an already well-established test or measure that claims to measure the same variable.
  • Predictive validity is whether the test or measure can predict a person’s future performance on a test/method as indicated by its results.
  • Face validity is a measure of whether a test looks subjectively promising that it measures what it is supposed to.
  • Validity-
    To extent to which an observed effect is genuine- does it measure what it was supposed to measure and can it be generalised beyond the research setting in which it was found?
  • Validity pertains to the accuracy and truthfulness of research findings. For a study to be valid, it should accurately measure what it intends to do. A small, unrepresentative sample can compromise external validity, meaning the results don’t generalize well to the larger population. A larger sample captures more variability, ensuring that specific subgroups or anomalies don’t overly influence results.