Ed Research ~ An Intro ~ Gall, Gall, & Borg ~ Validity

Front 1

Threats to Internal Validity

Back 1

1) History
2) Maturation
3) Testing
4) Instrumentation
5) Statistical regression
6) Differential selection
7) Experimental mortality
8) Selection-maturation interaction
9) Experimental treatment diffusion
10) Compensatory rivalry by the control group
11) Compensatory equalization of treatments
12) Resentful demoralization of the control group

Front 2

internal validity

Back 2

the extent to which extraneous variables have been controlled by the research, so that any observed effect can be attributed solely to the treatment variable

Front 3

Threats to External Validity

Back 3

Population Validity
1) The extent to which one can generalize from the experimental sample to a defined population
2) The extent to which personalogical variables interact with treatment effects
Ecological Validity
1) Explicit description of the experimental treatment
2) Multiple-treatment interference
3) Hawthorne effect
4) Novelty and disruption effects
5) Experimenter effect
6) Pretest sensitization
7) Posttest sensitization
8) Interaction of history and treatment effects
9) Measurement of the dependent variable
10) Interaction of time of measurement and treatment effects

Front 4

external validity

Back 4

any variable other than the treatment variable that, if not controlled, con affect the experimental outcome

Front 5

threat to internal validity
---------------------------
history

Back 5

Experimental treatments extend over a period of time, providing opportunity for other events to occur besides the experimental treatment.

Hint 5

as a result of time, something, outside the organism, else may account for the results and rival the treatment (think MLKjr’s assassination during a race relation survey)

Front 6

threat to internal validity
---------------------------
maturation

Back 6

While the experimental treatment is in progress, physical or psychological changes in the research participants are likely to occur.

Hint 6

internal to the organism, hunger, fatigue, cognitive / physical maturation (pair with history)

Front 7

threat to internal validity
---------------------------
differential selection

Back 7

In experimental designs in which a control group is used, the effect of the treatment sometimes is confounded by differential selection of research participants for the experimental and control groups.

Hint 7

the two groups are not equivalent (pre-test can help overcome equivalence)

Front 8

threat to internal validity
---------------------------
testing

Back 8

If the pretest and posttest are similar, students might show an improvement simply as an effect of their experience with the pretest.

Hint 8

the pre-test cues the subjects (test-wise, learning effect, cueing effect)

Front 9

threat to internal validity
---------------------------
instrumentation

Back 9

A learning gain might be observed from pretest to posttest becouse the nature of the measuring instrument has changed.

Hint 9

(often confused with testing) the test instrument got uncalibrated; the test is causing the effect; bad tests;

Front 10

threat to internal validity
---------------------------
statistical regression

Back 10

Whenever a test-retest procedure is used to assess change as an effect of the experimental treatment, there is the possibility that statistical regression accounts for observed gains in learning.

Hint 10

mathematical truism that on repeated testing the extremes move to the means and the means move to the extremes (related to the reliability of a test) of importance when studying the extremes (handle by using a control group which should suffer the same regression)

Front 11

statistical regression

Back 11

the tendency for research participants whose scores fall at either extreme on a measure to score nearer the mean when the variable is measured a second time.

Front 12

threat to internal validity
---------------------------
differential selection

Back 12

In experimental designs in which a control group is used, the effect of the treatment sometimes is confounded by differential selection of research participants for the experimental and control groups.

Front 13

threat to internal validity
---------------------------
experimental mortality

Back 13

Some research participants might be lost from the experimental or control group because they drop out of the study, miss pretesting or posttesting, or are absent during some sessions.

Hint 13

attrition (have a large n to counteract) (check for a rival hypothesis if one group seems to have a pattern of attrition)

Front 14

experimental mortality

Back 14

the phenomenon of losing research particpants during the course of an experment (also known as attrition)

Front 15

threat to internal validity
----------------------------------
selection-maturation interaction

Back 15

This extraneous variable is similar to differential selection, except that maturation is the specific confounding variable.

Hint 15

because of selection the groups start at the same point but mature at a different rate

Front 16

threat to internal validity
----------------------------------
experimental treatment diffusion

Back 16

If the treatment condition is perceived as highly desirable relative to the control condition, members of the control group may seek access to the treatment condition.

Hint 16

the treatment “seeps” into the control group (observers to ensure treatment is correct and doesn’t seep)

Front 17

threat to internal validity
-------------------------------------------
compensatory rivalry by the control group

Back 17

If this phenomenon occurs, the observed difference - or lack of difference - between the experimental treatment and control groups on the posttest can be attributed to the control group's unusual motivation rather than to treatment effects. (also known as the John Henry effect)

Hint 17

control group will work harder as a result of rivalry (competitive spirit)

Front 18

compensatory rivalry

Back 18

involves a situation in which control group participants perform beyond their usual level because they perceive that they are in competition with the experimental group.

Front 19

threat to internal validity
-----------------------------------------
compensatory equalization of treatments

Back 19

This extraneous variable can occur if the experimental group receives a treatment that provides goods or services perceived as desirable.

Hint 19

researchers try to offset compensatory rivalry and resentful demoralization and reduce the gap of treatment effectiveness.

Front 20

threat to internal validity
-----------------------------------------------
resentful demoralization of the control group

Back 20

A control group can become discouraged if it perceives that the experimental group is receiving a desirable treatment that is being withheld from it.

Hint 20

put off and so they don’t try