Chapter 4 Validity in Psychological Research Flashcards
Error Variance
Variance among scores caused by the operation of randomly acting variables
Random Error
Any error possible in measuring a variable, excluding error that is systematic
Validity
The extent to which an effect demonstrated in research is genuine, not produced by spurious variables and not limited to a specific context
Threat to Validity
Any aspect of the design or method of a study the that weakens the likelihood that a real effect has been demonstrated or that might obscure the existence of a real effect
Internal Validity
Extent to which an effect found in a study can be taken to be genuinely caused by manipulation of the independent variable
Construct Validity
Extent to which conceptions and operational measures of variables encompass the intended theoretical constructs. The constructs can be of persons (samples), treatments (IVs), observations (DV measures) and settings.
Participant Expectancy
Effect of participants’ expectancy about what they think is supposed to happen in a study
Hawthorne Effect
Effect on human performance caused solely by the knowledge that one is being observe
Demand Characteristics
Cues in a study which help the participant to work out what is expected
Pleasing the Experimenter
Tendency of participants to act in accordance with they they think the experimenter would like to happen
Enlightenment
Tendency for people to be familiar with psychological research findings
Social Desirability
Tendency of research participants to want to ‘look good’ and provide socially acceptable answers
Evaluation Apprehension
Participants’ concern about being tested, which may affect results
Reactive Study/Design
Study in which participants react is some way to the experience of being studied/tested
Standardised Procedure
Tightly controlled steps taken by experimenter with each participant and used to avoid experimenter bias or expectancy effects
Single Blind
Procedure in an experiment where either participants or data assessors do not know which treatment each participant received
Double Blind
Experimental procedure where neither participants not data gatherers/assessors know which treatment participants have received
External Validity
Extent to which results of research can be generalised across people, places and times
Population Validity
Extent to which research effect can be generalised across people
Ecological Validity
Widely overused term which can generally be replaces with ‘representative design’. Also used to refer to the extent to which a research effect generalises across situations. The original meaning comes from cognitive psychology and refers to the degree to which a proximal stimulus predicts the distal stimulus for the observer. Should not be automatically applied to the laboratory/field distinction.
Representative Design
Extent to which conditions of an experiment represent those outside the laboratory to which the experimental effect is to be generalised
Reproducibility Project
Large study designed to assess the extent to which the findings of 100 psychological studies could be repeated in replications. Surprisingly low reproducibility was found.
Meta-analysis
Statistical analysis of results of multiple equivalent studies of the same, or very similar, effects in order to assess validity more thoroughly
Secondary Data
Results gathered from other studies
Primary Data
Results collected by researchers directly in their studies
Experimenter Expectancy
Tendency for experimenter’s knowledge of what is being tested to influence the outcome of research
