7. Validity

Question 1

What is internal validity? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 1

A concept that addresses the relationship between two variables

Question 2

What are the 7 threats to internal validity? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 2

• selection threat
• maturation threat
• testing effects
• history effects
• statistical regression to the mean
• instrumental effects
• compensatory rivalry

Question 3

What is selection threat? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 3

Arises when participants are not randomly allocated groups

Question 4

What is maturation threat? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 4

Any change that occurs in a participant as a result of time passing

Question 5

What is testing effects? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 5

Where participants get practice of the task so become bored

Question 6

What is history effects? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 6

Something externally that effects the group

Question 7

What is statistical regression to the mean? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 7

Where participants who perform differently on pretest scores to the actual test

Question 8

What is instrumental effects? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 8

Any feature of the experiment related to the collection of data

Question 9

What is compensatory rivalry? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 9

Where the control group learn about the manipulation, they may become ‘jealous’ and alter behaviour

Question 10

What is the hawthorne effect? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 10

Productivity being maximised when being watched by the researcher

Question 11

What is external validity? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 11

How generalisable the findings are

Question 12

What are the 5 threats to external validity? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 12

• demand characteristics
• multiple treatment occurrence
• interaction of selection and treatment
• reactive arrangements (artificial environments)
• interaction of treatment and testing (pre-tests)

Question 13

How can you overcome threats to validity? (Validity methods 2)

Answer 13

• Replication
• Interater reliability
• Test retest
• Pilot studies