External Validity

Topic validity
Type of document Essay
Single spaced No
Subject area Social Sciences
Academic level Undergraduate
Writing style APA
Writing language English (U.S.)
Number of sources 1
Number of pages 2 page(s) / approximately 550 words
Order deadline 2011-08-12 09:00
Order additional information
Application: External Validity
You now know that validity helps tell you if an experiment measures
what you think it measures. In the Discussion for this week, you
addressed one of the internal threats to validity, that is,
confounding variables. This Application Assignment will challenge you
on external threats to validity. Generalization is the underlying
issue in external validity. If a research study is only valid for the
sample used in the study, it is not very helpful to the study of
psychology.
In the example given in the Discussion, students tried different study
strategies. Suppose you were struggling with a concept in a training
class at work and wanted to try a study strategy. Imagine that the
Instructor in the Discussion solved the internal validity problem and
found that study Strategy 1 worked better than study Strategy 2.
Remember that your Instructor’s study included a population of online
students. You assume that the results of this study will generalize to
your training class at work. However, a replication of this study
found that study Strategy 1 only works well for online students in an
undergraduate program. It cannot be generalized to your in-class
training course at work. Therefore, it does not generalize across
settings.
The questions in this week’s Application Assignment will help you
think through generalizations as well as replications, both of which
relate to external validity.
To prepare for this assignment:
• Review the assigned pages in Chapter 13 of the course text.
• Review the PowerPoint for Chapter 13 (optional).
The assignment: (2–3 pages)
(1) What, exactly, is external validity (use your own words)?
(2) What are the two main types of generalizations and the issues
associated with each type?
(3) Explain the four different types of replications and the purpose
of each. Include for each an original psychological study example
(i.e., make up your own) that is different for each type of
replication (that is, don’t build on the same example). Plan to devote
a short paragraph for each.
(4) Briefly explain how replications relate to external validity

Note: Assume that random assignment took care of any potential
differences in the groups and therefore group differences are NOT a
potential confound.
Support your Application Assignment with specific references (in the
form of citations in APA style) to all resources used in its
preparation. You will also need to provide a full Reference list.
Submit your assignment to the Dropbox by Day 7.
Save your Application as a “.doc” or “.rtf” file with the filename
APP4+last name+your first initial. For example, Sally Ride’s
assignment filename would be “APP4RideS.” Use the Submit an Assignment
link, choose the Week 4: Application basket, and then add your
Application as an attachment.
Please proceed to the Test for Understanding

By admin in Essays on August 23, 2015