b. External Validity

• What does external validity refer to in research studies?

  Generalizability of results
• A study on social media impact on teens may not generalize to older adults
• What does ecological validity measure in research?

  Real-world applicability
• Studies from the 1950s on gender roles may not apply today
• Sampling diverse populations ensures high external validity.
• What is population validity concerned with?

  Generalizing to other people
• Researchers should consider historical context to ensure temporal validity.
• Why might a study on social media impact on teens not generalize to older adults?

  Lack of population validity
• Lab experiments on memory may not accurately reflect memory in everyday life
• What type of external validity is affected when findings from the 1950s on gender roles are applied today?

  Temporal validity
• Studies in real-world settings enhance ecological validity.
• Give an example of a study lacking population validity.

  Study on teens generalizing to adults
• Lab memory tests may not reflect everyday memory
• Temporal validity ensures that study results remain relevant over time.
• What is the primary goal of assessing external validity in research design?

  Generalizing research results
• A study on teens may not apply to older adults due to lack of population validity.
• What does ecological validity refer to in research design?

  Real-world applicability
• 1950s gender role studies may not apply today due to temporal validity issues.
• Steps to ensure high external validity

  1️⃣ Sample diverse populations

  2️⃣ Conduct studies in real-world settings

  3️⃣ Consider historical context
• A study on social media impact on teens might not generalize to older adults due to lack of population validity.
• Why might lab experiments on memory have low ecological validity?

  Artificial conditions
• Temporal validity ensures research findings remain relevant over time.
• To assess external validity, researchers consider whether results can be generalized to other populations, settings, and times.
• Match the type of external validity with its implication for generalizability:

  Population Validity ↔️ Results may not apply to other groups

  Ecological Validity ↔️ Results may not reflect real-world behavior

  Temporal Validity ↔️ Results may not apply over time
• What type of external validity is affected if a caffeine study's test conditions don't mirror everyday scenarios?

  Ecological validity
• A homogeneous study group may limit generalizability due to population characteristics.
• Historical context can influence temporal validity in research.