Validity Flashcards
Validity
Whether an observed effect is genuine and represents what is actually out there in the real world.
ie Is the result legitimate?
Data Reliability
Data can be reliable but not valid
Ecological Validity
Whether the findings can be generalised from one setting to another.
This is usually generalised to everyday life.
This may not be related to the setting (eg a lab) but more to the task that participants are asked to perform
Temporal Validity
Findings should be consistent over time.
ie Do the findings remain true over time?
Face Validity
How is this achieved?
Whether a test looks like it measures what it’s supposed to measure.
This is achieved by simply “eyeballing” the measuring instrument or by passing it to an expert to check
Concurrent Validity
Whether the findings of one study are similar to those on a well-established test
Correlation and Validity
Correlation coefficient should exceed +.80 for validity
Improving the Validity of Experiments
Control groups and standardisation.
A control group means that the researcher is more confident that changes in the DV were due to the effect of the IV.
Standardised procedures minimise the impact of participant reactivity and investigator effects
Improving the Validity of Questionnaires
Lie scale and confidentiality.
Lie scales control for the effects of social desirability bias.
Respondents are assured that all data submitted is confidential
Improving the Validity of Observations
Good categories.
Behavioural categories that are well-defined, thoroughly operationalised and not ambiguous or overlapping
Improving the Validity of Qualitative Research
Interpretive validity and triangulation.
Interpretive validity demonstrated through the coherence of the reporting and the inclusion of direct quotes from participants.
Triangulation involves using a number of different sources as evidence (eg interview data, personal diaries etc)
Two ways of Assessing Validity
Face validity
Concurrent validity
