PSY 2174 - Internal Validity and Research Design

These flashcards cover key concepts and terms from the PSY 2174 lecture on internal validity and various aspects of research design.

Internal Validity

The approximate truth about inferences regarding cause-effect or causal relationships.

Temporal Precedence

A criterion indicating that the cause must happen before the effect.

Covariation of Cause and Effect

A criterion indicating a relationship where if the program occurs, an outcome is observed, and vice versa.

No Plausible Alternative Explanations

A criterion requiring the ruling out of other possible explanations for an observed effect.

History (Threat to Validity)

An extraneous event that influences the study outcome.

Maturation (Threat to Validity)

Natural growth or change over time that influences study outcomes.

Testing (Threat to Validity)

The pretest influencing participants' performance on the post-test.

Instrumentation (Threat to Validity)

Change in measurement instruments affecting outcomes.

Mortality (Threat to Validity)

Participants dropping out of a study affecting results.

Regression to the Mean

The phenomenon where extreme measures tend to average out towards the mean on subsequent testing.

Selection-History

When an event affects groups differently in a multiple group design.

Selection-Maturation

When different rates of normal growth affect groups in a study.

Research Design Notation

Symbols used to denote different aspects of research design, such as R for random assignment and X for treatment.

Random Assignment

The process of assigning sample participants to different groups randomly, ensuring internal validity.

Quasi-Experiment

A study that does not utilize random assignment but seeks to examine cause-and-effect relationships.

Compensatory Rivalry

When control group members compete with the treatment group, potentially affecting the results.

Resentful Demoralization

When members of the control group give up in response to the treatment effects seen in the treatment group.

Compensatory Equalization of Treatment

Pressure on program managers to balance treatment effects across groups.

Social Interaction Threat

The impact of human interactions and social pressures on study outcomes.

Single Group Design

A design where a program/intervention is administered to one group with pre- and post-test measures.

Multiple Group Design

A design where two groups are studied with pre- and post-test measurements to evaluate differences.