Exam 1 - Internal and External Validity

Question 1

Threats to _____ validity compromise our confidence in concluding that a relationship exists between the independent and dependent variables.

Answer 1

Threats to INTERNAL validity compromise our confidence in concluding that a relationship exists between the independent and dependent variables.

Question 2

Threats to ______ validity compromise our confidence in claiming that the study’s results are applicable to other groups.

Answer 2

Threats to EXTERNAL validity compromise our confidence in claiming that the study’s results are applicable to other groups.

Question 3

What does high internal validity signify?

Answer 3

Strong evidence of CAUSALITY

Question 4

What does low internal validity signify?

Answer 4

Little or NO evidence of CAUSALITY

Question 5

What 3 conditions are necessary to claim that variable A causes changes to variable B?

Answer 5

1) Relationship condition
- Variable A and variable B must be statistically related

2) Temporal Antecedence Condition
- Proper time order must be established

3) Lack of Alternative Explanation Condition
- Relationship between variable A and variable B must not be attributable to other variables

Question 6

Name the 9 threats to internal validity.

Answer 6

1) History effect
2) Maturation effect
3) Testing effect
4) Hawthorne effect (participant reactivity)
5) Instrumentation effect (instrument decay)
6) Regression to the mean
7) Experimental Mortality (Attrition)
8) Design Contamination (Treatment Diffusion)
9) Selection Bias (Non-equivalent groups)