Unit 4: Module 13: Introduction to Validity of Research Results

Internal validity enables researchers to determine possible Hint, displayed below_____ relationships between independent and dependent variables.

• descriptive

• cause-and-effect

Answer explanation

Internal validity, also known as causal validity, helps establish trustworthy evidence in creating cause-and-effect relationships.

____ validity is most concerned with the factual exactness of information provided to researchers by participants.

• Interpretive

• Descriptive

Answer explanation

Determining whether events described to researchers actually happened as described is an aspect of factual accuracy determined by descriptive validity.

A researcher does a qualitative case study of two students who have the same cognitive profile yet one is labeled as a special education student and the other is not. The researcher finds in the study that the student who is labeled as having a disability tends to be less motivated and blames their failure on their disability. The researcher wants to argue that the labeling of the child has caused the child to become less efficacious. The researcher's argument that labeling causes a drop in motivation requires evidence of ​ (a)   validity to support those claims. The researcher also wants to claim that this finding is held in schools similar in characteristics to the one studied. Evidence to support this claim would provide support of the ​ (b)   validity of the study.​

• internal
• external

Which of the following best defines "theoretical validity"?

• Accuracy and defensibility of the theoretical explanations given

• Accuracy of the descriptions of the data

• Accuracy of the researcher's description of the meanings ascribed to participants

Considering the existence of one overall or multiple truths about a topic is reflective of _____ beliefs.

• ontological

• axiological

Answer explanation

Researchers' ontological beliefs involve assumptions of what is real or true in the world at large.

If a researcher can switch between a quantitative and qualitative viewpoint to create an integrated viewpoint, the researcher has achieved ____ validity.

• commensurability approximation

• paradigmatic

• sequential

Answer explanation

An integrated viewpoint is the goal of researchers seeking to establish commensurability approximating validity.

Mixed methods researchers conduct a qualitative study asking students for reasons why they had difficulty paying attention in class, and many students named the sports being played outside the classroom window as a reason. Researchers then followed up that study with an experiment in which they manipulated whether or not sports were being played outside of the classroom to see if that caused students to be more distracted. These research designs were used to make up for each other’s shortcomings. This is an example of _____.

• weakness minimization

• commensurability approximation

• sample integration

• weakness minimization

Answer explanation

Weakness minimization refers to the use of mixed methods to compensate for the weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Learning disabilities in children and acts of school violence are both examples of complex _____ that can be examined by educational researchers.

• constructs

• populations

• validities

• samples

Answer explanation

Constructs are complex topics with multiple facets for educational researchers to examine.

In a quantitative study, a researcher examines whether some personality traits in teachers are associated with better learning outcomes for their students. The teachers in this study were all under 35 years of age, but the researcher would like to generalize the results to teachers of all ages. Which type of validity is lacking in this study?

• Internal

• Construct

• External

Answer explanation

External validity is the extent to which results can be generalized to other people and situations.

Qualitative research is conducted to learn about what courses high school students would like to see offered as electives. 

Two researchers review the recorded responses from participant interviews to make sure they agree on what was said. This review will increase ____ validity.

• theoretical

• internal

• descriptive