Validity

Question 1

What is low ecological validity?

Answer 1

When the study environment isn’t reflective of real life, so results can’t be generalised to behaviour in the real world.

Ecological validity is crucial for ensuring that research findings can be applied in real-world settings.

Question 2

How can ecological validity be improved?

Answer 2

By making the setting realistic and the task more appropriate to real life.

This involves creating conditions in a study that closely mimic real-life situations.

Question 3

What is low population validity?

Answer 3

When the sample isn’t representative enough of the target population, so results can’t be generalised to the target population.

Population validity is important for the generalizability of study findings.

Question 4

How can population validity be improved?

Answer 4

By making the sample more representative using sampling methods such as stratified or random sampling.
By using a wider variety of people in the sample

A wider variety of people in the sample enhances the representativeness of the findings.

Question 5

What is low temporal validity?

Answer 5

Low temporal validity is when results can’t be generalized to modern-day behaviour as the study was done in a different time period.

Retesting new participants on older research can help test temporal validity.

Question 6

How can low temporal validity be improved?

Answer 6

Retest new participants on older research to test temporal validity.

However, studies that are unethical are not retested.

Question 7

What factors can affect internal validity?

Answer 7

Extraneous variables and confounding variables,
investigator bias,
demand characteristics,
social desirability bias.

These factors can compromise the accuracy of a study.

Question 8

Define extraneous variables (EVs).

Answer 8

Any variable other than the independent variable that may affect the dependent variable if not controlled.
Do not vary systematically with the Independent variable

EVs are essentially nuisance variables that do not vary systematically with the IV.

Question 9

What are confounding variables (CVs)?

Answer 9

Any variable other than the independent variable that may have affected the dependent variable preventing certainty about the changes to the dependent variable.
CV vary systematically with the independent variable

CVs can complicate the interpretation of results.

Question 10

How do extraneous and confounding variables affect study accuracy?

Answer 10

They can lead to inaccurate measurements of the effects of an independent variable on a dependent variable.

If present, researchers cannot be sure they have only measured the effects of the IV.

Question 11

True or False: Extraneous variables systematically vary with the independent variable.

Answer 11

False.

EVs do not vary systematically with the IV.

Question 12

Fill in the blank: _______ are variables that do not vary systematically with the independent variable but can still affect the dependent variable.

Answer 12

Extraneous variables.

These variables can introduce noise into the study results.

Question 13

What are situational variables?

Answer 13

Things in the environment that affect one condition of the independent variable (IV)

Situational variables can lead to low internal validity if they cause findings instead of the IV.

Question 14

How can you improve situational variables?

Answer 14

All participants must have the same environmental conditions

Question 15

What must all participants have to ensure a standardised procedure?

Answer 15

The same environmental conditions

This helps maintain consistency across the experiment.

Question 16

What are participant variables?

Answer 16

Features of the participant (individual differences) may account for their results rather than the intended change in the IV

Examples include intelligence, age, or background.

Question 17

What is a repeated measures design?

Answer 17

Using the same participants in both conditions of the IV

This design helps control for participant variables.

Question 18

What is a matched pairs design?

Answer 18

Matching participants on criteria that could be an extraneous variable (EV) like intelligence and would do the different conditions of a study

This approach aims to control for individual differences.

Question 19

What is investigator effects bias?

Answer 19

When the researcher influences the participants in a way that affects their behavior

This can result in inaccurate outcomes in the study.

Question 20

How can you remove investigator bias?

Answer 20

Double blind trial

Question 21

What is a double blind trial?

Answer 21

A trial where neither the researcher nor the participants are aware of the aims of the study and know the study details

This helps eliminate bias from both parties.

Question 22

What are demand characteristics?

Answer 22

When participants have guessed the aim of the study and have changed their answers of their behaviour to help or spoil the study therefore affecting their accurate behaviour.

This can lead to biased results if participants alter their responses based on their perceptions of the study’s purpose.

Question 23

How can you decrease demand characteristics?

Answer 23

Double blind trial - neither researcher nor participants are aware of the aims
Deception - participants are unaware of the real aims

Question 24

What is the purpose of using deception in studies?

Answer 24

To hide the aims from participants so they cannot figure out what the study is about.

Question 25

What is social desirability bias?

Answer 25

When participants change their answers or behaviour to appear more favourable and look better in front of others, resulting in inaccurate measurement of behaviour. ## Footnote This can be mitigated by making questionnaires anonymous.

Question 26

How can researchers study people without their knowledge?

Answer 26

By conducting research in a manner that does not inform participants they are being studied.

Question 27

What is face validity?

Answer 27

The extent to which a test appears valid on the surface ( on the face of it ), often assessed by expert opinion.

Question 28

What is concurrent validity?

Answer 28

A check that the measuring tool being used is equivalent to an existing validated measuring tool by comparing scores. ## Footnote This involves checking participants' scores on the new measure against their scores on an established measure.