Internal Validity Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What does Internal Validity refer to?

Clear relationships between variables not due to external factors (correct)

The ambiguity of relationships between variables

Only the independent variable affecting the dependent variable

External influences having no effect on research outcomes

What is an example of factors influencing Internal Validity?

Age of participants, ability of participants, conditions under which the study is conducted, type of materials used.

What does Internal Validity mean?

The observed differences in the dependent variable are directly related to the independent variable and not due to some other unintended variable.

What is a misleading correlation in research?

A correlation of 0.80 between height and mathematics test scores among elementary school students. Signup and view all the answers

Why is the correlation between height and math scores misleading?

It is a by-product of age, as older students tend to be taller and may be better at math. Signup and view all the answers

Systematic investigations of threats to internal validity receive ample attention.

False Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not a threat to Internal Validity?

Random assignment Signup and view all the answers

What is participant characteristics threat?

Sometimes called selection bias, it refers to selecting research participants who differ from one another in relevant ways. Signup and view all the answers

What is the mortality threat in research?

Loss of participants, which is difficult to control and can affect the validity of results. Signup and view all the answers

What are researchers trying to achieve regarding mortality threat?

They explore reasons for participants dropping out and provide evidence that lost participants were similar to those who remained. Signup and view all the answers

What is location threat?

It refers to where the data are collected or where interventions occur, which can create alternative explanations for results. Signup and view all the answers

What is the best method for controlling location threats?

Hold locations constant. Signup and view all the answers

What is an instrumentation threat?

It occurs when any aspect of an instrument (including scoring procedures) changes during a study. Signup and view all the answers

How can researchers control instrumentation threat?

By scheduling data collection and scoring to minimize changes. Signup and view all the answers

What is testing threat?

It occurs when improvement from pretest to posttest is mistakenly attributed to an intervention rather than the pretest itself. Signup and view all the answers

What is history threat?

Participants’ experiences during the study can alter their performance. Signup and view all the answers

What is maturation threat?

Change that occurs during an intervention may be due to the passage of time rather than the intervention itself. Signup and view all the answers

What is regression threat?

Occurs when studying change in a group that is extremely low or high in pre-intervention performance. Signup and view all the answers

What are special education studies subject to?

Regression threat. Signup and view all the answers

How does regression threat manifest in special education?

Groups selected for exceptionally high or low performance will score closer to the mean on subsequent testing. Signup and view all the answers

What can handle regression threat?

An equivalent control group or comparison group. Signup and view all the answers

What is Implementation threat?

When the researcher treats the experimental group differently than the intervention method suggests. Signup and view all the answers

How can Implementation threat occur?

<ol> <li>Different individuals implement different parts of the intervention, leading to inconsistency. 2. Personal biases of implementers influence how they apply the intervention.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Internal Validity Overview

Internal validity ensures relationships between variables are clear and not influenced by extraneous factors.
Observed differences in dependent variables must be attributed directly to independent variables.

Examples of Internal Validity

Factors influencing internal validity include participant age, ability, study conditions, and materials used.
Correlation between height and math test scores in children may be misleading due to age-related development.

Misleading Results

Correlation observed (0.80) between height and math scores may misrepresent true relationships influenced by participant age.

Threats to Internal Validity

Common threats include:
- Participant characteristics and selection bias
- Participant mortality (dropout rates)
- Location where data is collected
- Instrumentation changes affecting measurement
- Characteristics and biases of data collectors
- Testing effects from pretesting
- Historical events impacting performance
- Maturation effects due to time
- Attitudinal differences among subjects
- Regression effects in extreme performances
- Implementation inconsistencies

Participant Characteristics

Selection bias arises when participants differ in ways relevant to the study variables.

Mortality Threat

Refers to the loss of participants during a study, which is challenging to manage.
Researchers should investigate reasons for dropout to ensure they don’t skew results.
Evidence should support that lost participants are comparable to those remaining on key characteristics.

Location Threat

The data collection or intervention environments may introduce unintended variables.
Consistent locations for data collection help mitigate this threat.

Instrumentation Threat

Changes in the measuring instruments or scoring can lead to invalid results.
Also noted as "instrument decay."

Managing Instrumentation Threat

Schedule data collection to minimize variability.
Standardize scoring procedures across all measures.

Data Collector Characteristics Threat

Variations in data collectors' attributes (e.g., gender, age) can influence data quality.
Consistency among data collectors can prevent bias.

Data Collector Bias Threat

Collectors can inadvertently distort results based on personal biases.
Training and deliberate ignorance about study hypotheses help minimize this risk.

Testing Threat

Improvement observed from pretest to posttest might not solely be from the intervention.
Pretesting can influence subsequent performance, revealing studied areas.

History Threat

External events experienced by participants during the study may affect outcomes.

Maturation Threat

Changes over time can lead to results being misattributed to interventions rather than natural growth.

Participant Attitude Threat

Participant perceptions and treatment nuances may impact results beyond the intervention's effects.

Regression Threat

Risk arises when studying extreme scores as they tend to revert towards the mean in subsequent testing.

Addressing Regression Threat

Utilizing equivalent control or comparison groups can help control for natural score regression.

Implementation Threat

Inconsistent application of the intervention can alter study outcomes.
Bias from individuals implementing different aspects of the intervention may skew results.

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Description

Explore key concepts of internal validity through this flashcard quiz. Each card provides a definition and examples to clarify the significance of establishing clear relationships between variables. Perfect for psychology students and researchers alike.