Internal and External Validity

Internal and External Validity

Internal validity refers to how a researcher can be confident that the cause-and-effect relationship in research cannot be explained by other factors (McCleary et al., 2017). It is mainly influenced by experimental manipulation, the random selection of research participants, and the protocol observed during the research. Experimental manipulation includes manipulating an independent variable instead of only keeping how they are related without intervening. External validity is how well the research outcome can be expected to apply to other settings. It is influenced by the exclusion and inclusion criteria selected by a researcher. According to Bo & Galiani (2019), proper inclusion and exclusion bars ensure that the researcher defines the study population clearly. The study participants’ psychological state also influences external validity; therefore, it is essential to maintain psychological realism.

One of the main threats that internal validity might be exposed to in my business research study is participants withdrawing their participation. In the informed consent form that the study participants in my research will sign, it will be stated that participants are free to leave the study any time they want. According to Patten & Newhart (2017), participants’ withdrawal from a study creates a biased sample, affecting the research’s internal validity. The second threat is situational factors, such as the characteristics of a researcher. I am currently not good at data analysis. I may leave out important information when analyzing the data gathered to answer the research questions, thus limiting internal and external validity. Another threat is my bias as a researcher. Patten & Newhart (2017) argue that research bias is a significant threat to internal validity because it influences how researchers relate to study participants. In my case, I may favor the group acknowledging the effectiveness of recycling in environmental conservation and act harshly against participants who argue that recycling is not practical in ecological protection.

References

Bo, H., & Galiani, S. (2019). Assessing external validity. https://doi.org/10.3386/w26422

McCleary, R., McDowall, D., & Bartos, B. J. (2017). Internal validity. Oxford Scholarship Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190661557.003.0007

Patten, M. L., & Newhart, M. (2017). Threats to internal validity. Understanding Research Methods, 186-188. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315213033-60

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Observation and questionnaires are two of the methods used in data collection. Researchers are faced with the option of selecting the most appropriate methods of data collection that are suitable for their research in order to arrive at solutions to issues at hand. In addition, a researcher must address internal and external validity issues.

Internal and External Validity

For this discussion, our focus will be on internal and external validity. Use the information from the required readings, TED Talk video, and other sources to:

Describe internal validity and external validity. Discuss any threats to which either internal or external validity might be exposed in your business research study.