Ecological validity
Ecological validity refers to the extent to which the findings of a research study can be generalized to and accurately represent real-world settings and situations. Research with high ecological validity produces results that are applicable to everyday life, while research with low ecological validity may not be reflective of real-world conditions. Factors like the research environment, the stimuli used, and the sample of participants all influence a study’s ecological validity.
High Ecological Validity
- Real-world settings: Studies conducted in naturalistic environments that are familiar to participants.
- Naturally occurring stimuli: Using materials or cues that resemble those encountered in daily life.
- Generalizability: The results can be reliably applied to real-life situations and populations.
Low Ecological Validity
- Laboratory settings: Research conducted in a controlled lab environment that differs significantly from everyday experiences.
- Artificial stimuli: Using abstract or arbitrary stimuli that lack resemblance to real-world elements.
- Limited generalizability: The findings may not be accurate when applied to the broader population or different environments.
Examples
- High ecological validity: A study observing people’s choices in a natural setting, like choosing a short, rainy path versus a longer, dry one on a campus.
- Low ecological validity: A memory recall study using unrelated words in a quiet lab, which doesn’t reflect how people use memory in daily life.
Why It Matters
- Applicability: To ensure research findings are meaningful and can be used to understand and predict real-world behavior.
- Context: Human behavior is influenced by contextual factors, making it crucial to study it in rich, natural environments rather than just controlled lab settings.
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://fiveable.me/key-terms/ap-psych/ecological-validity
[2] https://study.com/learn/lesson/ecological-validity-significance-examples.html
[3] https://quillbot.com/blog/research/ecological-validity/
[4] https://www.britannica.com/science/ecological-validity
[5] https://dictionary.apa.org/ecological-validity
[6] https://statisticsbyjim.com/basics/ecological-validity/
[7] https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/ecological-validity/
[8] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/ecological-validity
[9] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/ecological-validity
Not all images can be exported from Search.