Validity (Paper 2)

Question 1

What is validity

Answer 1

If it is truthful to say that these findings accurately reflect natural behaviour.

Question 2

What is internal validity

Answer 2

Questions the cause and effect relationship between the change the researcher made to the independent variable (IV) and the observed change in the dependent variable (DV).

Question 3

What causes a lack in internal validity

Answer 3

If the change in the DV was influenced by any other factor than the IV (due to a lack of control)

Question 4

What does it mean if something has external validity

Answer 4

Can be generalised beyond the study.

Question 5

What is social desirability bias (internal validity)

Answer 5

Participants hide their genuine opinions/behaviours and instead act/respond in a more socially acceptable way to “look good”.

Question 6

What are investigator effects (internal validity)

Answer 6

The researcher’s behaviour (or personal characteristics) influences the participants’ behaviour, including researcher bias,when the researcher either consciously or unconsciously influences the results.

Question 7

Give examples of how investigator effects could occur

Answer 7

The participant’s behaviour could be affected by the researcher using more positive body language/tone of voice when participants behave as expected according to theory.

The researcher could also be biased in how they interpret participant behaviours and responses.

Question 8

What is ecological validity (external validity)

Answer 8

The extent to which the findings of any particular study can be generalised to alternative environments.

(e.g. if moving a test of obedience from a laboratory setting to a busy city street, would obedient behaviour be replicated)?

Question 9

What is mundane realism (external validity)

Answer 9

The extent to which the task/materials/activities used in an experimental set-up are similar to the stimuli experienced in the real world.

Question 10

What is population validity

Answer 10

The extent to which the sample used in the study is representative of the target population. (e.g. gender, age, ethnicity, education level)

Question 11

What is temporal validity (external validity)

Answer 11

The extent to which the findings of a study can be generalised to other time periods.

Question 12

What is meant by face validity

Answer 12

Does the test appear to measure what it claims to be measuring?

Question 13

What is meant by criterion validity

Answer 13

Confidence in the validity of a test increases if we can compare the data from a test to another measure of the same variable and identify a correlation.

Question 14

What is meant by concurrent validity

Answer 14

The extent to which data from the newly created test is similar to an established testof the same variable conducted at the same time. A test of correlation assesses this; there is high concurrent validity if the strength of the correlation is +0.8 or higher.

Question 15

What is meant by predictive validity

Answer 15

The extent to which performance on a test can predict future performance/outcomes/behaviour. (e.g. GCSE scores are highly predictive of future A-level results)

Question 16

How can you improve internal validity

Answer 16

Improved by demonstrating a high level of control over variables. Control ensures the researcher is measuring any potential cause-and-effect relationship between the IV and DV, not the effect of an EV on the DV.

Question 17

Give the steps to improving internal validity

Answer 17

Random allocation – Controls participant variables

Standard procedures – Controls extraneous variables

Counterbalancing - Controls order effects

Single & double-blind trials – Controls researcher bias and demand characteristics

Peer review – Controls researcher bias

Question 18

How can you improve external validity

Answer 18

Improved by demonstrating that findings are generalisable. Replication ensures the cause-and-effect relationship observed in the original study is not just limited to that one experimental/observational set up.

Question 19

Give the steps to improving external validity

Answer 19

Replicating findings in multiple settings improves ecological validity

Replicating findings with diverse groups of people improves population validity

Replicating historical studies improves temporal validity

Replicating findings using real-world/realistic tasks improves mundane realism