Validity

• What is validity in research?

  The extent to which a study produces legitimate results
• What happens if a study has problems?

  It cannot provide a true explanation of behavior
• How is validity divided?

  Into internal and external validity
• What definition of validity is often required in exams?

  The extent to which a study measures what it intends
• What does internal validity refer to?

  Effects observed are due to the independent variable
• What is a major threat to internal validity?

  Participants responding to demand characteristics
• What is mundane realism?

  How realistic the task is in everyday life
• Why might a task lack mundane realism?

  It is not something done in everyday life
• What does external validity refer to?

  How well findings can be generalized outside the study
• What is ecological validity?

  Generalizing a study to different settings or situations
• What factors affect ecological validity?

  Participants' awareness, environment, and task realism
• What is population validity?

  How well the sample can be generalized to a population
• Why might a study with only students lack population validity?

  It may not represent the entire population
• What is temporal validity?

  The validity of findings over time
• How does internal validity affect external validity?

  You can't generalize results lacking internal validity
• What are pilot studies and their purpose?

  • Small-scale practice investigations
  • Identify potential problems with design or method
  • Help adjust procedures before full-scale study
• What is the purpose of pilot study results?

  They are irrelevant for the main study
• What is a confederate in research?

  A person who plays a role in an experiment
• Why might a researcher use a confederate?

  To manipulate the experimental conditions