Chapter 9

Question 1

Internal Validity

Answer 1

The level of confidence that an experimental treatment or condition made a difference and that rival explanations were systematically ruled out through study design and control.

Question 2

External Validity

Answer 2

The ability to generalize the findings from a research study to other populations, places, and situations.

Question 3

Improvements to Validity of Qualitative Research

Answer 3

Prolonged or varied field experience: researcher stays with participants
Verbatim accounts: word-for-word
Triangulation: 3 ways to collect data
Member checking
Bracketing: noting potential bias
Audit Trails: have a statistician audit the study

Question 4

Factors that Jeopardize Internal Validity

Answer 4

History
Maturation
Testing
Instrumentation
Treatment effects
Selection effects
Attrition: leaving the study

Question 5

Threats to External Validity

Answer 5

Selection effects
Time
History
Novelty
Experimenter effects

Question 6

Minimize Bias

Answer 6

Researcher blinded to group assignment
Primary researcher does not collect data
Objective criteria used for selecting subjects and assigning to groups
Extraneous variables identified and controlled
Attrition was minimized throughout the study

Question 7

Controlling Extraneous Variables

Answer 7

eliminate the threat; control for the threat; or account for the threat in the write-up

Question 8

Minimize Threat to Internal Validity

Answer 8

Measurement or observation
Use of appropriate design elements
Control of bias
Statistical analysis