Vocabulary:
Population validity (p353) the characteristics of the subjects of a study. The study’s findings would be generalizable to a population with like characteristics.
In the discussion section of a research report, the authors discussed the population validity of their study. Because they’d only tested male students, their findings could not be generalizable to a female population.
Reflection:
I learned that the subjects of a study need to be described in detail enough for a reader to evaluate the population validity of the study. I learned that ecological validity is the term used to consider the conditions around the research, and this is also a limitation to the generalizability of a study.
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