What is internal validity?

In the realm of research, internal validity refers to the degree of confidence you can have in a study's findings reflecting a true cause-and-effect relationship. It essentially asks the question: "Can we be sure that the observed effect in the study was actually caused by the independent variable, and not by something else entirely?"

Here are some key points to understand internal validity:

  • Focuses on the study itself: It's concerned with the methodology and design employed in the research. Did the study control for external factors that might influence the results? Was the data collected and analyzed in a way that minimizes bias?
  • Importance: A study with high internal validity allows researchers to draw valid conclusions from their findings and rule out alternative explanations for the observed effect. This is crucial for establishing reliable knowledge and making sound decisions based on research outcomes.

Here's an analogy: Imagine an experiment testing the effect of a fertilizer on plant growth. Internal validity ensures that any observed growth differences between plants with and without the fertilizer are truly due to the fertilizer itself and not other factors like sunlight, water, or soil composition.

Threats to internal validity are various factors that can undermine a study's ability to establish a true cause-and-effect relationship. These can include:

  • Selection bias: When the study participants are not representative of the target population, leading to skewed results.
  • History effects: Events that occur during the study, unrelated to the independent variable, influencing the outcome.
  • Maturation: Natural changes in the participants over time, affecting the outcome independent of the study intervention.
  • Measurement bias: Inaccuracies or inconsistencies in how the variables are measured, leading to distorted results.

Researchers strive to design studies that address these threats and ensure their findings have strong internal validity. This is essential for building trust in research and its ability to provide reliable knowledge.

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Supporting content
What is external validity?

What is external validity?

In research, external validity addresses the applicability of a study's findings to settings, groups, and contexts beyond the specific study. It asks the question: "Can we generalize the observed effects to other situations and populations?"

Here are some key aspects of external validity:

  • Focuses on generalizability: Unlike internal validity, which focuses on the study itself, external validity looks outward,
...
What is face validity?

What is face validity?

Face validity, in statistics, refers to the initial impression of whether a test or measure appears to assess what it claims to assess. It's essentially an informal assessment based on common sense and logic, and doesn't rely on statistical analysis.

Here's a breakdown of key points about face validity:

  • Focuses on initial appearance: It judges whether the test seems relevant and
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What is content validity?

What is content validity?

Content validity assesses the degree to which the content of a test, measure, or instrument actually represents the specific construct it aims to measure. In simpler terms, it asks: "Does this test truly capture the relevant aspects of what it's supposed to assess?"

Here's a breakdown of key points about content validity:

  • Focuses on representativeness: Unlike face validity which looks at initial appearance,
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What is construct validity?

What is construct validity?

Construct validity is a crucial concept in research, particularly involving psychological and social sciences. It delves into the degree to which a test, measure, or instrument truly captures the underlying concept (construct) it's designed to assess. Unlike face validity, which relies on initial impressions, and content validity, which focuses on the representativeness of content, construct validity goes deeper to investigate the underlying meaning and

...
What is criterion validity?

What is criterion validity?

Criterion validity, also known as criterion-related validity, assesses the effectiveness of a test, measure, or instrument in predicting or correlating with an external criterion: a non-test measure considered a gold standard or established indicator of the construct being assessed.

Here's a breakdown of key points about criterion validity:

  • Focuses on
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Understanding reliability and validity
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