1.18 Year 2 Research Methods - Validity

Question 1

Validity

Answer 1

Extent to which results are accurate and what you expect to find in real life

Question 2

Internal Validity

Answer 2

Research method is valid if it measures what it was supposed to measure inside the study. Extent to which the finding are due to the effect of the IV on the DV and not due to an EV

Question 3

Types of internal validity

Answer 3

• Extraneous variables
• Confounding variables
• Leading questions
• Demand Characteristics
• Social Desirability
• Researcher or investigator effect/bias
• Order effects
• Participant variables

Question 4

External (Ecological) Validity

Answer 4

Results are valid if they are reflective of what you would expect to happen in real life. Artificial environments such as Lab settings mean low ecological validity, natural environments the opposite. Milgram had low ecological validity, Hofling had very high ecological validity

Question 5

External (Temporal Validity)

Answer 5

Generalisation of findings to other populations and other time periods. E.g. Asch had low temporal validity as his repeated experiments found inconsistency whilst Milgram had high temporal validity

Question 6

Face Validity

Answer 6

Basic assessment determining whether a measure appears ‘on the face of it’ to represent what it is supposed to for example does a test for anxiety look like a test for anxiety. Can be done by ‘eyeballing’ or passing to an expert.

Question 7

Concurrent Validity

Answer 7

Extent to which a new measure relates to an old measure for example a new personality test is created so it is tested and compared to the findings of an older personality test. If results are 80% or more similar than results are concurrent.

Question 8

Improving Validity in Questionnaires

Answer 8

• Make anonymous to lower chance of social desirability

- Use a ‘lie scale’

Question 9

Improving Validity in Qualitative methods

Answer 9

• Triangulations, use different sources of data e.g. diaries and interviews, observations to ensure researchers interpretation matches the participants

Question 10

Improving Validity in observations

Answer 10

• Covert observations ensure that behaviour of the participants remains natural – improving ecological validity
• Behavioural categories to clearly operationalise variables
• Double blind procedures to limit researcher bias

Question 11

Improving Validity in Experimental research

Answer 11

• Use of control groups
• Standardised procedures
• Control EVs
• Double blind procedures to get rid of participant and researcher effects
• Counterbalancing