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Stats Second Semester > Threats to Validity > Flashcards

Threats to Validity Flashcards

1
Q

What is the most important tool to identify a cause-effect relationship

A

An experiment

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2
Q

What does an experiment require

A

Control

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3
Q

What does control in an experiment allow us to observe

A

A cause and effect relationship

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4
Q

What change are we looking for

A

Changes in the DV are caused by the manipulation of the IV

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5
Q

Define internal validity

A

The extent to which the results obtained are a function of the variables that were systematically manipulated

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6
Q

What may internal validity effect

A

Changes in the IV being responsible for the observed variation of the DV
Variation in the DV may be attributed to other causes

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7
Q

What type of variables internal validity effected by

A

Confounding Variables

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8
Q

Why is internal validity important

A

To determine cause and effect relationships

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9
Q

What does high internal validity link to

A

Strong evidence of causality

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10
Q

What does low internal validity link to

A

Little or no evidence of causaility

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11
Q

What two things can be done to maximise internal validity

A

Able to rule out the possibility of other factors producing the change
Control and eliminate possible extraneous influences

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12
Q

Where is it easiest to maximise internal validiity

A

Lab settings

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13
Q

What is a treat to internal validity

A

Something that compromises our confidence in saying that a relationship exists between the IV and DV

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14
Q

What are some examples of internal validity threats

A 
History effects
Matruation effects
Mortality
Instrumental decay
Participant selection
Stats regression to the mean
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15
Q

Define a history effect

A

Events occurring during the experiment that are not part of the treatment

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16
Q

What is an example of a history effect

A

During the experiment, a fire alarm goes off which affects one group.

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17
Q

How could history effects be solved

A

Hold experiences constant except for IV; randomly assign conditions to time.

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18
Q

Define maturation effects

A

Biological or psychological processes within participants that may change simply due to the passing of time.

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19
Q

What are some examples of maturation effects

A

Aging
Fatigue
Hunger

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20
Q

Is it true that maturation effects occur naturally overtime and influence the results of the study

A

True

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21
Q

Define mortality

A

The differential loss of individuals from treatment and/or control groups due to nonrandom reasons.

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22
Q

What is the problem of mortality

A

Those who drop out of your study could be qualitatively different from those who remain.

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23
Q

What is the solution to mortality

A

Try to stop people dropping out, e.g., provide an inconvenience allowance

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24
Q

Define intsturment decay

A

Measuring devices change over time.

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25
What are some examples of instrument decay
Equipment becomes inaccurate with age | Experimenters become more skilled, or bored
26
What is the solution for instrumental decay
Randomise condition to time, check reliability of instruments, train staff.
27
Define participant selection
Different types of participants placed at the different levels of the IV.
28
What are some examples of participant selection that would influence internal validity
Only males in control group and only females in experimental group. If you test different groups at different times, then people will be different.
29
What is the solution to participant selection threats
Random assignment and matching
30
Define stats regression to the mean
Going back to mean after extreme behaviour
31
What is the problem with stats regression to the mean
People elected for treatment because of extreme score on pre-test
32
What are the two complications when participants communicate
Effects equalising groups | Effects separating groups
33
Define effects equalising groups
Diffusion of treatment effects compensatory rivalry compensatory equalisation
34
Define effect separating groups
Resentful demoralisation
35
Define diffusion of treatment effects
Occurs if the control group learns about manipulation
36
What is the solution for diffusion of treatment effects
Do not debrief any participants until ALL have finished
37
Define compensatory rivalry
When participants in different conditions start competing
38
What is an example of compensatory rivalry
If participants become aware that they are in the control group, they may work harder to overcome the ‘disadvantage’ of being in the control group.
39
Who named the compensatory rivalry effect
Saretsky 1972
40
What did Saretsky 1972 name compensatory rivalry
John Henry efect
41
Define compensatory equalisation
What if experimenters know which condition participants are in?
42
What is an example of compensatory rivalry
: Experimenters in charge of the control group might feel bad that their group is not receiving treatment, and attempt to make up for this by providing enhanced services that go beyond the routine treatment regimen.
43
Define resentful demoralisation
If the control group learns that they are in the control group, they may become resentful and not try as hard.
44
What would resentful demoralisation lead to
Increase the size of the observed difference between experimental and control groups
45
What does external validity effect our ability to do
Generalise
46
What question does external validity have us ask
Does the IV represent the concept we intend?
47
What makes a measure externally valid
A measure is externally valid if it truly measures the hypothetical construct intended.
48
What makes an experiment externally valid
If it is similar to phenomenon in the real world
49
What does high external validity mean
Having a lack of control and confounds
50
What are the two types of external validity
Population validity | Ecological validity
51
Define population validity
The extent to which the results can be generalised from the experimental sample to a defined population
52
Define ecological validity
The extent to which the results can be generalised from the set of environmental conditions in the experiment to other environmental conditions.
53
What do threats to external validity lead to
A compromise our confidence in stating whether the study’s results are generalisable.
54
What are the threats to external validity
Reactive effects of testing Reactive effects of experimental setting Selection-treatment interaction Multiple-treatment interference
55
Define reactive effects of testing
: Occurs whenever a pre-test increases or decreases the respondents’ sensitivity to the treatment
56
What is an example of reactive effects of testing
Studies involving self-report measures of attitude and interest are very susceptible to this threat.
57
When can reactive effects of experimental arrangements occur
occur when the conditions of the study are such that the results are not likely to be replicated in non-experimental situations
58
What do Hawthron novelty, experimenter and Rosenthal effects have to do with
Reactive effects of experimental arrangements
59
Define hawthorn effects
Wanted to test how things like light levels effected productivity, but when experimetners went away the effect departed.
60
Define novelty effects
Highly engaged compared to when outside of the lab.
61
Define rosenthal effects
interviewing study, and they start discussing things relevant to the hypothesis, say more things to support hypothesis, their behavior is influenced by your behavior.
62
Define selection treatment interaction and how it effects external validity
: The possibility that some characteristic of the participants selected for the study interacts with some aspect of the treatment.
63
What is an example of a selection treatment effect
May include prior experiences, learning, personality factors, or any traits that might interact with the effect of the treatment.
64
Define multiple-treatment inference
When participants receive more than one treatment, the effects of previous treatments may influence subsequent ones.
65
What are examples of multiple treament inference
This has a likelihood of occurring whenever the same research participants are exposed to multiple treatments. Sequence effects Carry-over effects
66
How can external validity be improved
Replication | Replication with extension
67
What is replication
An additional scientific study that is conducted in exactly the same manner as the original research project
68
What is the consequence of a replication
When we replicate an experimental finding, we are able to place more confidence in that result.
69
Define replication with extension
An experiment that seeks to replicate a previous finding but does so in a different setting or with different participants or under different conditions.
70
What are the threats to stats validity
Making a type I or II error
71
Define a type I error
Rejecting the null hypothesis when the null hypothesis is true
72
What are the possible causes of a type I error
Fishing
73
Define a type II error
Failing to reject the null hypothesis when the null hypothesis is false
74
What are the possible causes of a type II error
Power Reliability of measures, treatments Random irrelevance Random heterogeneity of respondents
75
Which of the following threats to internal validity refers to the effect of people dropping out of the study?
Mortality
76
Which of the following threats to internal validity might lead to increased differences between treatment and control groups?
Resentful demoralisation
77
If a study has high external validity, the results can be generalised to
Different participants, settings and times
78
What will increase the likelihood of type I errors
Fishing

Stats Second Semester (9 decks)

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