L4- Types of validity- Assessing and Improving Validity Flashcards
What is internal validity also known as?
Experimental validity
What is internal/experimental validity?
Internal/experimental validity- legitimacy of what is being measured in actual study- extent to which test/study is investigating true effect of IV on DV- researcher must make sure observing/measuring what they intend to
What factors can reduce ⬇️ internal/experimental validity?
1) Investigator effects
2) Demand characteristics
3) Confounding variables
4) Social desirability bias
5) Lack of operationalisation
Describe the factors that can reduce ⬇️ internal/experimental validity and state how they do so
1) Investigator effects- When researcher characteristics or 🏃♂ (consciously or unconsciously) influences results … results ✖️ solely due to IV affecting DV BUT by affect of investigator on pps
2) Demand characteristics- Pps guess aim of study and change their 🏃♂ accordingly … results ✖️ solely due to IV affecting DV BUT by change in pps 🏃♂
3) Confounding variables- External variables apart from IV which affect the DV- … not only IV affecting IV BUT also other variables
4) Social desirability bias- Pps change their 🏃♂ so that they are perceived positively- … results ✖️ caused by just IV affecting DV BUT by change in pps 🏃♂
5) Lack of operationalisation- Variables ✖️ defined & measured properly- could affect results overall resulting in ⬇️ internal validity as observers don’t know what they are measuring and/or how to do so properly
State the ways in which you can assess internal validity
1) Concurrent Validity
2) Face Validity
What is concurrent validity?
- Way of establishing internal validity
- Scores gained from new test compared against older, established test where validity already known
- If scores from both tests similar and ➕ correlation coefficient of +0.8 or ⬆️ found then new test judged as having ⬆️ internal validity
What is face validity?
- Way to measure whether test/measuring instrument measuring what it should
- 1 or ⬆️ researchers/experts in field can examine test to see whether measuring what it set out to
- Do this by looking at Q on a questionnaire e.g. and seeing “on the face of it” whether Q appear to be measuring what they- quick look over Q
State the ways in which you can improve internal validity
1) Improve/increase ⬆️ Concurrent Validity
2) Improve/increase ⬆️ Face Validity
3) Decrease ⬇️ Investigator Effects
4) Decrease ⬇️ Demand Characteristics
5) Decrease ⬇️ or REMOVE Confounding Variables
Describe the factors that can help improve internal validity and state how it will do so
1) ⬆️ Concurrent Validity:
- ⬇️ concurrent validity improved by removing irrelevant/ambitious Q on questionnaire for example and then test concurrent validity again
2) ⬆️ Face Validity:
- ⬇️ face validity improved by expert in field examining all Q on questionnaire e.g.
- Might decide some Q ✖️ good measure of topic being investigated
- These Q improved/rewritten/re-worded certain questions again
3) ⬇️ Investigator Effects:
- Double blind technique- neither pps nor investigator know aim of study-> ⬆️ valid data
- Potentially get another researcher to carry out research (unaware of aim) and pps who are unaware of aim
4) ⬇️ Demand Characteristics:
- Single blind technique- pps ✖️ know aim of study … ✖️ 🏃♂ change- ⬆️ difficult in repeated measures design (same pps used)
5) ⬇️ or REMOVE Confounding Variables:
- Lab 🧪 Experiment- controlled environment- good control over variables- eliminate affects of C.V & E.V on results- ensures only I.V has an effect on the D.V
Define external validity
External validity- extent to which results of study can be generalised to other situations, ppl 👨 👩 and times ⏰ (factors outside of research setting)
What are 2 types of external validity?
1) Temporal validity
2) Ecological validity
What is ecological validity?
Ecological validity- ability to generalise research findings to other settings and contexts, particularly to everyday life situations and settings
What is temporal validity?
Temporal/Times ⏰ Validity- findings from study true over period of time ⏰ and can be generalised to other historical time ⏰ eras
State the ways in which you can assess external validity
1) Meta analysis
2) Consider environment study conducted in
3) Assess how DV measured
4) Assess whether pps behaving naturally as possible
Describe the factors that can help assess external validity and state how they do so
1) Meta analysis:
- Comparison of findings from range of different research studies investigating same hypothesis
- Consistent findings from different research studies that have occurred across populations, locations and periods of ⏰ indicate ⬆️ external validity
2) Consider environment study conducted in:
- Environment should be quite naturalistic if psychologist wishes to have ⬆️ ecological validity
- Lab 🧪 study usually has ⬇️ ecological validity because setting ✖️ very natural and quite artificial
3) Assess how DV measured:
- Task that pps given to do in study to measure DV should have ⬆️ mundane realism and should reflect task person expected to do in everyday life e.g. memorise list of words
4) Assess whether pps behaving naturally as possible:
- Ensure demand characteristics kept to minimum
- Pps ✖️ be aware of true aim of study because-> 🏃♂ change- has dramatic effect on the DV-> ⬇️ validity
