What Is Internal And External Validity In Scientific Research?

Define internal and external validity. Discuss the importance of each.

Internal validity refers to whether the effects observed in a study are due to the manipulation of the independent variable and not some other factor. In other words there is a causal relationship between the independent and dependent variable. External validity is the validity of generalized (causal) inferences in scientific research, usually based on experiments as experimental validity. In other words, it is the extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other situations and to other people. Internal validity refers to the validity of the measurement and test itself, whereas external validity refers to the ability to generalize the findings to the

Sociometric tests can discover, describe and evaluate social status and structure, and can measure the acceptance or rejection felt between sport groups. A non-experimental research technique involving identifying and measuring interpersonal relationships within a group.

Contrast laboratory and field research. Discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of each.

One advantage of laboratory research is that the research can better establish causality through reducing the number of confounds via a controlled environment like lab setting. The disadvantages of laboratory research are the results may be artificial and not applied to the real world; there may be research bias.

Compare and contrast fundamental theory, descriptive theory and analogical theory.

Analogical reasoning is any type of thinking that relies upon an analogy. An analogical argument is an explicit representation of a form of analogical reasoning that cites accepted similarities between two systems to support the conclusion that some further similarity exists. Descriptive ethics thus embraces moral relativism. Or, Descriptive ethics makes no claim that amorality is moral. Its innate amorality is solely due to a practical division of labor between descript ethics. To compare fundamental theory is a theory that has a purpose of a new structure or underlying process to explain how variables and constants relate (Kenneth S. Borderns| Bruce B .Scott

Advantages of naturalistic observation are a type of method that scientists use to collect data and information about different types of things. Example the subject is observed unknowingly in their natural environment and has not been manipulated. The disadvantage, you have no control over the influences around your subjects, which could impact the results of the test and end ip been useless to the research

Describe ethnography. Discuss the issues facing a field ethnography

Describe ethnography- A no quantitative technique used to study and describe the functioning of the cultures through a study of social interactions and expression between people and groups. Research dealing with phenomena that are difficult or impossible to quantify mathematically, such as beliefs, meanings, attributes.

Define face validity and content validity.

Is how well a test appears to measure by judging the content of what it was design to measure? Example, a measure of matherical ability would have face validity if it contained math problems, (KENNETH S. BORDENS | BRUCE B ABBOTT NINTH EDITION RESEARCH AND DESIGN AND METHODS A PROCESS