Types of Validity

Question 1

What are the 5 types of validity?

Answer 1

1. Internal validity
2. Temporal validity
3. Ecological validity
4. Population validity
5. Face validity
6. Concurrent validity

Question 2

What is internal validity?

Answer 2

The extent to which findings are due to the manipulation of the independent variable and not any other uncontrolled variables

Question 3

What is temporal validity?

Answer 3

The extent to which research findings hold true over time

Question 4

What is ecological validity?

Answer 4

The extent to which an experimental effect can be generalised from the study to other settings and situations

Question 5

What is population validity?

Answer 5

The extent to which findings can be generalised from the sample tested to other populations

Question 6

What is face validity?

Answer 6

The extent to which research looks as though it is doing what it claims to, on the surface level

Question 7

What is concurrent validity?

Answer 7

The extent to which a new measure compares to a previously validated measure

Question 8

What are the 3 issues with internal validity?

Answer 8

1. Confounding variables
2. Demand characteristics
3. Investigator/ experimenter effects/ bias

Question 9

What are confounding variables?

Answer 9

‘Uncontrolled variables’ which, if not removed, will cause the study to have low internal validity

Question 10

What are demand characteristics?

Answer 10

When an individual acts in a way that they think the researcher may want them to or knowing they’re in an experiment

Question 11

What are investigator/ experimenter effects/ bias?

Answer 11

When the researcher may be bias within the experiment

Question 12

What are the issues with ecological validity?

Answer 12

Mundane realism

Question 13

What is mundane realism?

Answer 13

• Something can be artificial but still feel realistic
• The degree to which the setting, task or procedure reflects that in real life

Question 14

What are the 7 ways of improving validity?

Answer 14

1. Improving concurrent validity
2. Single blind technique
3. Double blind technique
4. Eye ball test by ‘experts’
5. Large samples and careful sampling
6. Improving temporal validity
7. Improving ecological validity

Question 15

What is improving concurrent validity?

Answer 15

If the new method does not correspond to an established measure then it can be tweaked or refined and then reassessed against the valid measure

Question 16

What is the single blind technique and what type of validity does it improve?

Answer 16

• When the participant doesn’t know which condition they’re in so there won’t be demand characteristics
• Improves internal validity

Question 17

What is the double blind technique and what type of validity does it improve?

Answer 17

• When the participant and researcher don’t know which condition each participant is in, eliminating demand characteristics and researcher bias
• Improves internal validity

Question 18

What is the eye ball test by ‘experts’ and what type of validity does it improve?

Answer 18

• Getting an expert in the particular field of investigation to judge the content of a test or method on a surface level, helping to ensure the test is appropriate and relevant to the field of study
• Improves face validity

Question 19

What type of validity does large samples and careful sampling improve?

Answer 19

Population validity

Question 20

What is improving temporal validity?

Answer 20

Replicating research

Question 21

What is improving ecological research?

Answer 21

Replicate research in different settings and diverse methods