Evaluation Flashcards
What is validity?
A test or theory’s ability to measure what it is claiming to measure
What is reliability?
The consistency of research study or measuring test
How can we evaluate theories/ approaches?
- Research support - if there is research supporting the study = validity
- Real-life application - if findings can be applied to real life and if it’s useful = valid
- Determinism - all behaviour is controlled, influenced or determined by external or internal forces, suggests humans don’t have free will
- Scientific credibility - if the approach uses scientific methods, is focused on being objective, easy to replicate, high level of control (control of extraneous variables), easily replicated = reliable
- Ignores important factors - doesn’t take certain aspects into account
What are the types of validity?
Internal validity - whether we can confidently say the IV being manipulated is influencing the DV - if extraneous variables aren’t controlled = lacking internal validity
External validity - whether we can apply our results outside our study
Ecological validity - generalised our results to real life
Population validity - generalise our results to the wider population
Hard determinism
No free will - behaviour is caused by internal/ external factors
Soft determinism
Middle ground between determinism and free will - cognitive system can operate within limits of what we know butt we are free to think before responding to stimuli
Reciprocal determinism
Not influenced by external environment but we exert influence over it - some free will
Forms of hard determinism:
Environmental determinism - behaviour is determined by past experiences that have been conditioned - environment determines our behaviour
Biologically determinism - human behaviour determined by internal, biological causes over which we have no control
Psychic determinism - behaviour detrmined by unconscious forces and drives
