validity

Question 1

define validity

Answer 1

the extent to which an observed effect is genuine

does it measure what it is supposed to measure?
and can it be generalised beyond the research setting?

Question 2

define internal validity

Answer 2

how much the findings of a method are due to the manipulation of a variable rather than another measure

a major threat to this is demand characteristics

Question 3

define external validity

Answer 3

the findings can be generalised beyond the context of the research situation

ecological validity is a form of this

Question 4

give the 3 types of external validity

Answer 4

• ecological validity
• temporal validity
• population validity

Question 5

define ecological validity

Answer 5

extent to which the findings from a study can be generalised to other settings

not all lab studies lack ecological validity it depends on the task

Question 6

define temporal validity

Answer 6

extent to which findings from a research study can be generalised to other historical times and eras

freud’s research into psychosexual stages has low temporal validity

Question 7

define population validity

Answer 7

the extent to which findings from a research study can be generalised to other cultures/people outside of the research

ainworth’s strange situation lacks population validity

Question 8

what are the 2 ways of assessing validity

Answer 8

• face validity
• concurrent validity

Question 9

define face validity

Answer 9

a basic form of validity in which a measure is scrutinised to determine whether it appears to measure what it is supposed to measure

Question 10

define concurrent validity

Answer 10

the extent to which a psychological measure relates to an existing similar measure

Question 11

3 ways to improve validity in expermient

Answer 11

• use a control group
  (allows us to see whether manipulation of IV has an effect and is causing results)
• standardise procedures
  (removes impact of participant reactivity and investigator effects)
• use a blind procedures
  (double or single blind which reduces demand characteristics)

Question 12

2 ways to improve validity in questionnaires

Answer 12

• use a lie scale
  (if caught lying on questions, test score becomes invalid which controls social desirability)
• promote anonymity
  (participants are more likely to show the behaviour if results are anonymous)

Question 13

2 ways to improve validity in observations

Answer 13

• covert observations
• operationalised behavioural categories

Question 14

2 ways to improve validity in qualitative research

Answer 14

• use qualitative or quantitative
  ( qual - higher ecological validity quanti - less subjective)
• use triangulation
  ( a number of sources)

Question 15

define triangulation

Answer 15

using a number of sources