Internal Vs. External Validity

When looking at different research studies, you will often find that when internal validity is high, external validity is low, and vice versa. In this assignment, you will further explore the interaction between internal and external validity.

Tasks:

Part 1:Based on the course readings and research, in a minimum of 300–400 words, post your responses to the following:

• What is internal and external validity? When conducting research, why is there often a trade-off between internal and external validity?
• Is there a benefit in achieving a high level of one type of validity (internal versus external) over the other? Is there a way to design a study or series of studies to have high internal as well as high external validity? What would be the benefit?

Part 2:Using the Argosy University online library resources, locate a research study related to the human services field. Share your purpose of research. In about 300 words, post your responses to the following:

• Evaluate the level of internal and external validity achieved in the study.

Suggested Readings

• From the Argosy University online library resources, read the following articles:
  • External Validity and Translation from Research to Implementation
  • Integrating Cross-Cultural Psychology Research Methods into Ethnic Minority Psychology
  • Validity and Reliability in Social Science Research