validity Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is validity in psychological research?
Validity refers to whether a psychological test, observation, or experiment produces a result that is legitimate and represents what is actually ‘out there’ in the real world.
What is internal validity?
Internal validity refers to whether the effects observed in an experiment are due to the manipulation of the independent variable and not some other factor.
What is external validity?
External validity relates to whether findings can be generalized beyond the research setting in which they were found.
What is an example of a reliable but not valid measure?
A broken set of scales may give a consistent reading of someone’s weight that is always 7 lbs more than their actual weight-reliable but not valid.
What are demand characteristics?
Demand characteristics are cues in a study that might tell participants how they are expected to behave, threatening internal validity.
What is ecological validity?
Ecological validity is a type of external validity concerning generalizing findings from a study to other settings, especially ‘real life.’
What is mundane realism?
Mundane realism refers to how much an experiment mirrors real-life situations.
What is temporal validity?
Temporal validity is the issue of whether findings from a particular study or concepts within a particular theory hold true over time.
What is face validity?
Face validity is whether a test, scale, or measure appears on the ‘face of it’ to measure what it is supposed to measure.
What is concurrent validity?
Concurrent validity is demonstrated when results from a test are very close to those from another recognized and well-established test.
How can validity be improved in experiments?
Using control groups, standardizing procedures, and using single-blind or double-blind procedures can improve validity in experiments.
What is a control group?
A control group is a group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment, used for comparison to assess the effect of the independent variable.
What is the purpose of standardizing procedures?
Standardizing procedures minimizes the impact of participant reactivity and investigator effects on validity.
What are single-blind procedures?
Single-blind procedures are when participants are not made aware of the aims of a study to reduce demand characteristics.
What are double-blind procedures?
Double-blind procedures are when both participants and investigators are unaware of the aims to further reduce bias.
How do questionnaires improve validity?
Questionnaires often use a lie scale to assess consistency and control for social desirability bias.
How can anonymity improve validity in questionnaires?
Anonymity can reduce social desirability bias, improving the validity of responses.
What is the advantage of observational research for validity?
Observational research may produce findings with high ecological validity as the observer remains undetected, making behaviour more natural.
What is a behavioral category in observations?
Behavioural categories are used to code observations, but if too broad or ambiguous, they may reduce validity.
How can qualitative research improve validity?
Qualitative research often has higher ecological validity and uses methods like case studies and interviews.
What is the role of quotes in qualitative research validity?
Quotes from participants can demonstrate that findings are grounded in their actual words.
How can validity be further enhanced in qualitative research?
Validity can be enhanced by compiling evidence from multiple sources, such as interviews, diaries, and observations.
Why might laboratory research have low ecological validity?
Lab settings are artificial and do not reflect real-life situations, so results may not generalize well.
How can the use of the dependent variable affect ecological validity?
If the dependent variable is not ‘like everyday life,’ the study may have lower ecological validity.
