2.4.2 Validity

Question 1

what is Internal Validity?

Answer 1

The study measures what it intends to measure (as confounding variables have been controlled and will not affect the results)

Question 2

what is External Validity?

Answer 2

Whether the study paints a true picture of real-life behaviours (mundane realism) and would apply to different places, different times, or different people (population validity).

Question 3

what are the 3 validity issues?

Answer 3

1. researcher bias
2. demand characteristics
3. social desirability

Question 4

what is Researcher Bias

Answer 4

The researcher directly or indirectly influences the results of a study, through the process of designing the study or through the way the research is conducted/analysed

Question 5

what are Demand Characteristics

Answer 5

participants unconsciously work out the aim and act differently

Question 6

what is Social Desirability

Answer 6

Participants give the response that they think will show them in the best possible light, meaning they are not a true reflection of their thoughts/feelings.

Question 7

how do you deal with researcher bias?

Answer 7

Double-blind procedure helps overcome researcher bias.

• Neither the researcher nor the participant knows the true aims of the study.
• Reduces demand characteristics
  (participants altering behaviour based on perceived aims).

Question 8

how can single blind procedures reduce validity issues

Answer 8

Single-blind procedure helps reduce:

• Social desirability bias.
• Demand characteristics.
• Participants are unaware of the research hypothesis until after participation.

Question 9

how can you deal with general issues with validity

Answer 9

• Independent groups design can also help reduce validity issues.
• Anonymity and confidentiality in responses can increase the validity of the data.

Question 10

assessing validity: Face Validity

Answer 10

Whether the test appears (at face value) to measure what it claims to, and hence is objective.

• Tests where the purpose is clear, even to naïve respondents, are said to have high face validity.

Question 11

assessing validity: Predictive Validity

Answer 11

The degree to which a test accurately forecasts a future outcome on a more broadly related topic

Do the findings apply in different and more varied situations?

Question 12

assessing validity: Content Validity

Answer 12

objectively checking whether the method of measuring behaviour is accurate and decides whether it is a fair test that achieves the aims of the study (internal validity).

• This can be achieved by asking an expert in that specific area of behaviour to check the validity

Question 13

assessing validity: Concurrent Validity

Answer 13

Validating a measurement by comparing it with an established measurement that has known validity.

• If similar results occur on both tests, then the new test has concurrent validity.
• If not, then the new test would have to be redesigned and tested.

Question 14

assessing validity: Construct Validity

Answer 14

looks at whether the overall results reflect the phenomena as a whole (external validity)

It is achieved by checking the existing definitions of the behaviour being studied and redesigning the test if it measures a different construct