validity and reliability

Question 1

validity

Answer 1

• Validity focuses on accuracy
• Accurately measuring what the study sets out to
• What extent can the findings be generalised to the wider population and out of the research setting

Question 2

internal validity

Answer 2

• Measures whether the results are due to to the manipulation of the independent variable and not confounding variables.
• Internal validity can be improved by reducing investigator effects and demand characteristics.

Question 3

external validity

Answer 3

• Measure whether the results can be generalised beyond the research setting, looking at;
• External validity can be improved by setting research/experiments in naturalistic environments

Question 4

ecological validity

Answer 4

type of external validity
- Whether results can be generalised to other settings

Question 5

population validity

Answer 5

type of external validity
- Whether results can be generalised to other people

Question 6

temporal validity

Answer 6

type of external validity
- Whether results can be generalised over time

Question 7

predictive validity

Answer 7

Assesses validity by predicting how well a test does at predicting future behaviour

Question 8

temporal validity

Answer 8

Assesses how valid it remains over time

Question 9

concurrent validity

Answer 9

Assesses through correlation, correlating scores from research already existing and known to be valid

Question 10

face validity

Answer 10

Assesses whether something is what it looks like, to what extent does the item look like what the test measures

Question 11

reliability

Answer 11

• focuses on the consistency of a study
• If a study is completed in the same way (Method, design and measurements) and gets the same results, it can be said that is is reliable
• There are both internal reliability and external reliability

Question 12

internal reliability

Answer 12

The extent something is consistent with itself

Question 13

external reliability

Answer 13

The extent a test measure is consistent over time

Question 14

the test-retest method

Answer 14

• Measures external reliability
• Gives the same test to the same participant’s twice (on different occasions)
• If the same result is gained then reliability is established

Question 15

the split-half method

Answer 15

• Measures internal reliability
• Splits the test in half and has the same participant complete both halves
• If a similar result is provided from both halves, then it has internal reliability

Question 16

inter-observer reliability

Answer 16

• Designed to stop observer bias
• Two or more observers complete independent observations on the same study
• If their results are similar then they are reliable results

Question 17

how to improve internal validity?

Answer 17

random allocation
standardised procedures
counterbalancing
single and double blind trials
peer review

Question 18

how to improve external validity?

Answer 18

replicate findings in multiple settings
replicating findings with diverse groups
replicating historical studies
replicating findings in real world situations or realistic tasks