Research Methods- Validity

Question 1

Validity in psychological research:

Answer 1

Researchers gather data and produce findings in psychological studies. We need to question if it is truthful to say that these findings accurately reflect natural behaviour. Psychologists have to consider both the internal and external validity of their results.

Question 2

Internal validity:

Answer 2

Questions the cause and effect relationship between the change the researcher made to the independent variable (IV) and the observed change in the dependent variable (DV). If the change in the DV was influenced by any other factor than the IV (due to a lack of control), the findings lack internal validity.

Question 3

Internal validity

Answer 3

Questions the cause and effect relationship between the change the researcher made to the independent variable (IV) and the observed change in the dependent variable (DV). If the change in the DV was influenced by any other factor than the IV (due to a lack of control), the findings lack internal validity.

Question 4

Social desirability bias:

Answer 4

Participants hide their genuine opinions/behaviours and instead act/respond in a more socially acceptable way to “look good”.

Question 5

Demand characteristics:

Answer 5

Participants think they have discovered the aim and behave in a way they believe will produce results supporting the researcher’s theory.

Question 6

Investigator effects:

Answer 6

The researcher’s behaviour (or personal characteristics) influences the participants’ behaviour, including researcher bias, when the researcher either consciously or unconsciously influences the results. The participant’s behaviour could be affected by the researcher using more positive body language/tone of voice when participants behave as expected according to theory. The researcher could also be biased in how they interpret participant behaviours and responses.

Question 7

Uncontrolled extraneous variables:

Answer 7

Lack of control; this is not using standardised procedures, identifying and eliminating extraneous variables or not controlling for participant variables by randomly assigning participants to groups.

Question 8

External validity:

Answer 8

Questions if a study’s findings can be generalised beyond the study.
So from the sample used to the target population and from the experimental set-up to other “real world” settings and activities.

Question 9

Ecological validity:

Answer 9

The extent to which the findings of any particular study can be generalised to alternative environments, e.g. if moving a test of obedience from a laboratory setting to a busy city street, would obedient behaviour be replicated?

Question 10

Mundane realism:

Answer 10

The extent to which the task/materials/ activities used in an experimental set-up are similar to the stimuli experienced in the real world.

Question 11

Population validity:

Answer 11

The extent to which the sample used in the study is representative of the target population. (e.g. gender, age, ethnicity, education level)

Question 12

Temporal validity:

Answer 12

the extent to which the findings of a study can be generalised to other time periods. Generally asked of older studies, questioning if the findings on topics like social influence, attachment, relationships and gender would be the same if researchers conducted the study in modern society.

Question 13

Face validity:

Answer 13

Does the test appear to measure what it claims to be measuring?

Question 14

Criterion validity:

Answer 14

Confidence in the validity of a test increases if we can compare the data from a test to another measure of the same variable and identify a correlation.

Question 15

Concurrent validity:

Answer 15

The extent to which data from the newly created test is similar to an established test of the same variable conducted at the same time.
A test of correlation assesses this; there is high concurrent validity if the strength of the correlation is +0.8 or higher.

Question 16

Predictive validity:

Answer 16

The extent to which performance on a test can predict future performance/outcomes/behaviour. (e.g. GCSE scores are highly predictive of future A-level results)

Question 17

Internal validity

Answer 17

Improved by demonstrating a high level of control over variables.
Control ensures the researcher is measuring any potential cause-and-effect relationship between the IV and DV, not the effect of an EV on the DV.

Question 18

Internal validity
Control over variables

Answer 18

• Random allocation - Controls participant variables

• Standard procedures - Controls extraneous variables

• Counterbalancing - Controls order effects

• Single & double-blind trials - Controls researcher bias and demand characteristics

• Peer review - Controls researcher bias

Question 19

External validity

Answer 19

Improved by demonstrating that findings are generalisable.
Replication ensures the cause-and-effect relationship observed in the original study is not just limited to that one experimental/observational set up.

Question 20

External validity
Replicating findings…

Answer 20

• Replicating findings in multiple settings improves ecological validity

• Replicating findings with diverse groups of people improves population validity

• Replicating historical studies improves temporal validity

• Replicating findings using real-world/realistic tasks improves mundane realism (or researchers could use diverse participant samples/ situations the first time)