Assessing & Improving Validity

Question 1

● What is internal validity?

Answer 1

Whether the study measures what it intends to

Question 2

● What is external validity?

Answer 2

Whether findings can be generalised beyond the study

Question 3

● What is face validity?

Answer 3

Whether the test appears to measure what it should

Question 4

● What is concurrent validity?

Answer 4

Comparing results with an established test

Question 5

● What is ecological validity?

Answer 5

Whether findings can be generalised to real life settings

Question 6

● What is population validity?

Answer 6

Whether findings generalise to other people

Question 7

● What is temporal validity?

Answer 7

Whether findings remain true over time

Question 8

● What is validity?

Answer 8

Whether the research measures what it intends to

Question 9

● What is low internal validity caused by?

Answer 9

Confounding and extraneous variables

Question 10

● What is one way to assess face validity?

Answer 10

Ask an independent psychologist to review the test

Question 11

● What correlation value shows good concurrent validity?

Answer 11

+0.8 or higher

Question 12

● What is one cause of low ecological validity?

Answer 12

Artificial research settings

Question 13

● What is one cause of low population validity?

Answer 13

Unrepresentative samples

Question 14

● What is one cause of low temporal validity?

Answer 14

Findings not generalisable over time

Question 15

● What is an extraneous variable?

Answer 15

A variable other than the IV that may affect the DV

Question 16

● What is a confounding variable?

Answer 16

An extraneous variable that does affect the DV

Question 17

● What is the purpose of assessing validity?

Answer 17

To check if the findings are meaningful and accurate

Question 18

● What is one method to assess internal validity?

Answer 18

Check for control of extraneous variables

Question 19

● What is generalisability?

Answer 19

Whether findings apply to other settings, times, or people

Question 20

● What does a correlation of +1 indicate?

Answer 20

Perfect positive correlation

Question 21

▲ How can internal validity be improved in experiments?

Answer 21

Use standardised procedures and control variables

Question 22

▲ How can ecological validity be improved?

Answer 22

Conduct research in real-life settings

Question 23

▲ Why is concurrent validity assessed using a correlation?

Answer 23

To check agreement between new and established tests

Question 24

▲ Why might an observation lack internal validity?

Answer 24

Behaviour categories may be unclear or ambiguous

Question 25

▲ How can face validity be established in a questionnaire?

Answer 25

Ask an expert if the items appear to measure the topic

Question 26

▲ How does using standardised instructions improve validity?

Answer 26

Reduces variation in procedure and bias

Question 27

▲ Why does social desirability lower validity in self-reports?

Answer 27

Responses may not reflect true feelings

Question 28

▲ How can interviews improve internal validity over questionnaires?

Answer 28

Allows clarification of misunderstood questions

Question 29

▲ Why might temporal validity be low in old studies?

Answer 29

Findings may not apply to current time periods

Question 30

▲ Why is population validity improved by stratified sampling?

Answer 30

It ensures sub-groups are proportionally represented

Question 31

▲ How can behaviour categories improve validity in observations?

Answer 31

They ensure only relevant behaviours are recorded

Question 32

▲ Why does controlling extraneous variables increase validity?

Answer 32

It isolates the effect of the IV on the DV

Question 33

▲ Why does a lab experiment risk low ecological validity?

Answer 33

Setting may not reflect real-life conditions

Question 34

▲ How does using a pre-tested questionnaire improve validity?

Answer 34

It identifies and corrects ambiguous questions

Question 35

▲ Why are independent psychologists used to assess face validity?

Answer 35

To provide an unbiased judgement

Question 36

✪ Why do extraneous variables reduce internal validity?

Answer 36

They introduce alternative explanations for the DV

Question 37

✪ How does assessing concurrent validity support a test’s credibility?

Answer 37

It confirms results match those from validated tools

Question 38

✪ Why does low ecological validity limit the usefulness of findings?

Answer 38

Results may not apply to everyday settings

Question 39

✪ How can face validity be criticised as superficial?

Answer 39

It relies only on appearance, not actual measurement

Question 40

✪ Why might poor population validity lead to biased conclusions?

Answer 40

The sample may not reflect the target population

Question 41

✪ Why is it important to consider temporal validity in psychological research?

Answer 41

To ensure findings remain applicable over time

Question 42

✪ Why is controlling for investigator effects important for internal validity?

Answer 42

Researcher influence may bias participant responses

Question 43

✪ How does lack of operationalisation reduce validity in observations?

Answer 43

Observers may interpret behaviour inconsistently

Question 44

✪ Why is a correlation of +0.8 used as a benchmark for concurrent validity?

Answer 44

It shows strong agreement with an established measure

Question 45

✪ Why does standardisation improve both validity and reliability?

Answer 45

It ensures consistent procedures, reducing bias and increasing accuracy