6. Research Validity

Question 0

What are the four types of validity in quantitative research?

Answer 0

Internal validity, external validity, construct validity and statistical conclusion validity

Question 1

research validity

Answer 1

the truthfulness of inferences made from research studies

Question 2

statistical conclusion validity

Answer 2

the validity of inferences made about the covariation between the independent and dependent variables

Question 3

statistically significant

Answer 3

the observed relationship is likely not due to chance

Question 4

construct validity

Answer 4

the extent to which a construct adequately represents the measures used in a research study

Question 5

what are some threats to construct validity?

Answer 5

inadequate explanation of the construct, construct confounding, mono-operation bias, reactive self-report changes, reactivity to experimental situation, experimenter effects, novelty and disruption effects, etc.

Question 6

participant reactivity to the experimental situation

Answer 6

this is one threat to construct validity, caused by the fact that human participants are thinking beings, actively and knowingly responding to the experimental procedure. (ie. when I’m a participant answering a survey, I may try to figure out how the survey is being coded.)

Question 7

demand characteristics

Answer 7

the characteristics of the experimental environment, as perceived by the participant. (eg. instructions, equipment, rumors about the experiment, physical environment, the task required of them). These influence the participant’s perception of what is required in order to complete the tasks.

Question 8

positive self-presentation

Answer 8

while appearing to be unbiased participants, subjects are often motivated to respond to experimental tasks so as to present themselves in the most positive manner. If the task involves learning, they will try to learn the material to appear intelligent. If the survey questions emotional stability, they may answer in a way that presents them as stable.

Question 9

experimenter effects

Answer 9

actions and characteristics of the experimenter that influence the responses of participants.

Question 10

internal validity

Answer 10

the correctness of inferences made by researchers about cause and effect. Essentially, this involves making sure that the observed effect (as measured by the dependent variable) is caused only by the variation in the independent variable.

Question 11

What are the conditions required in order to make a claim of causation?

Answer 11

1) you have obtained strong evidence that the presumed cause and effect variables are related, 2)the cause precedes the effect, 3)no plausible alternative explanation for the relationship exists

Question 12

confounding variable

Answer 12

occurs when an additional variable varies systematically with the independent variable, and effects the dependent variable.

Question 13

constancy and equating the groups

Answer 13

a technique utilized to control and account for confounding variables, where extraneous confounding variables are held constant across the experimental groups, so that the only systematic differences between the groups is due to the influence of the independent variable.

Question 14

history

Answer 14

a threat to internal validity caused when an event that can produce the outcome (other than the treatment condition), that occurs during the study before post-test measurement. (can be controlled for in a two group experimental design. ie. example on dietary change impact on behavior of institutionalized juveniles.)

Question 15

maturation

Answer 15

a threat to internal validity, caused by any physical or metal change that occurs with the passage of time and effects the dependent variable

Question 16

instrumentation

Answer 16

a threat to internal validity caused by changes in the method of measurement or assessment of the variables from pre-test to post-test

Question 17

testing effect

Answer 17

threat to internal validity cased by the changes in a person’s score on the second administration of a test resulting from having previously taken the test

Question 18

regression artifact

Answer 18

a threat to internal validity caused when effects that appear to be a result of the treatment condition may actually be caused by regression to the mean. (ie. individuals with high scores tend to decrease and participants with low scores tend to increase)

Question 19

attrition

Answer 19

loss of participants because they don’t show up or drop out of the study

Question 20

external validity

Answer 20

the degree to which the study results can be generalized to and ac ross other people, settings, treatments, outcomes and times.

Question 21

population validity

Answer 21

the degree to which the results can be generalized to and across the people in the target population

Question 22

ecological validity

Answer 22

the degree to which the results of a study can be generalized across settinigs or environmental conditions

Question 23

temporal validity

Answer 23

the degree to which the results can be generalized across time