Validity

Validity

1. ecological validity

   • strengths of low eco val research
     • high control
       • manipulate and isolate the IV to measure the effect on the DV = infer cause and effect
       • example
         • loftus and palmer changing the verb in the sentance manipulates the iv and allows to see the cause of the different speed estimations
     • more reliable
       • standardised procedure making it easy to replicate 
       • example
         • bruce conducted an experiment into recognising faces had standadised images and composite images and had to match composties to original = repeated in the same way
     • high scientific equipment used
       • this is not something we come across every day = objective measurments to be made can collect quantitaive data allowing easy comparisons. 
       • example
         • dement and kleitman when conducting a study on dreaming attatched elctrode to scalp and eye lids, this is not how people normally sleep but gives us indepth information that wouldn't be accsessiable without 
   • weaknesses low of eco val research
     • reductionist
       • as the situation is very controlled it simplifies complex behavouir by isolating the IV does not look for a combo of factors 
     • generalisability
       • harder to generalise the results as often effected by social desirability and demand characterisitcs due to high levels of control
       • example
         • dement and kleitman and dreaming - not being allowed caffine and nicotine and being woken up during the night = not generalised to a normal nights sleep
     • lack of qual data
       • as scientfic methods collect objective quantitaive data and this lacks reason and insight 

2. internal

   • does the study measure what its supposed to within the study itself

3. external

   • does the study measure what it claims to outside the study

4. concurrent

   • comparing the measure with an already existing established measure of the same variable to check for concurrent validity 

5. face

   • are you measuring what you say you want to measure

6. population

   • the extent to which the results of a study can be generalised to the target population

7. strengths

   • highly reliable
   • controlled
   • useful
   • generalisable

8. weaknesses

   • ethics