What does the term external validity mean in relation to experimental research?
A) verification of results by outside parties
B) consistency of measurement
C) generalizing results to a larger population
D) accuracy of measurement

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

External validity refers to the extent to which the results of an experiment can be generalized to a larger population, beyond the specific individuals or situations studied in the experiment. This is different from internal validity, which refers to the accuracy of the measures and the extent to which they actually measure what they are intended to measure. Choice A (verification of results by outside parties) refers to replication, which is important for establishing the reliability of the results, but not necessarily the external validity. Choice B (consistency of measurement) refers to the reliability of the measures, which is important for establishing internal validity but not necessarily external validity. Choice D (accuracy of measurement) is also important for internal validity but not specifically external validity.

What Does the Term External Validity Mean in Relation to Experimental