Unit 1 -- Components of External Validity

Intro:	We must carefully evaluate the external validity of every research study we encounter, to help decide whether or not the results of that study can be applied to our own research or practice.
Goal:	This exercise will give you practice at identifying the four major components of external validity … Population validity -- do the participants in the study represent who we want to understand or work with? Setting validity -- does the setting (i.e., location or situation) of the study represent what we want to understand or work with? Task/stimulus validity -- do the stimuli the participant interacts with and the tasks they complete represent what we want to understand or work with? Temporal/social validity -- societies change over time, and so, behaviors/measures and the relationships among them change over time. Asked differently, do studies conducted years ago still apply, or have things change
Topics:	There are four topics in this exercise: Identifying when population is the external validity "issue" Identifying when setting is the external validity "issue" Identifying when task/stimulus is the external validity "issue" Identifying when temporal/social changes are the external validity issue"
Reading:	This PowerPoint will describe the major components of external and internal validity and prepare you for the web-based exercise. External Validity Types (pdf)
Exercise:	Go to the Psyc350 Canvas section, open the Modules & look in “Unit 1 Pink Things” -- complete the exercise titled U1 -- External Validity Types Prelude
Due Date:	Please have this done before the next lecture -- we will be building on this information then!