How true a study or theory is an explanation of behaviour
Internal validity: Whether the research was designed ‘well’. Research with high internal validity, must be designed very carefully. Can be lowered through the interference of extraneous variables.
- Face validity: whether a measure looks like it measures what it actually intends to measure
- Concurrent validity: comparing the current method of measurement with a previously valid measure. Pts are given both measures and scores provided e.g. GCSE results + IQ test
External validity: Whether the results are valid and can be generalised outside the experimental setting
- Ecological validity: whether findings can be generalised beyond research setting
- Population validity: whether the findings can be generalised beyond the research sample of participants
Temporal validity: whether the findings can be generalised to a time other than the study was conducted