Validity, Study
Validity, Study : The degree to which the inference drawn from a study, especially generalizations extending beyond the study sample, are warranted when account is taken of the study methods, the representatives of the study sample, and the nature of the population from which it is drawn. Two varieties of study validity are distinguished: (1) Internal validity: The index and comparison groups are selected and compared in such a manner that the observed differences between them on the dependent variables under study may, apart from sampling error, be attributed only to the hypothesized effect under investigation. (2) External validity (generalizability): A study is externally valid or generalizable if it can produce unbiased inferences regarding a target population (beyond the subjects in the study). This aspect of validity is only meaningful with regard to a specified external target population. For example, the results of a study conducted using only white male subjects might or might not be generalizable to all human males (the target population consisting of all human males). It is not generalizable to females (the target population consisting of all people). The evaluation of generalizability usually involves much more subject-matter judgment than internal validity
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