The extent to which experimental results can be generalized to real-life situations is a question of an experiment's ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

External validity refers to the degree to which the findings from an experiment can be generalized to real-life situations. Therefore, option E is the best choice. Reliability (option A) refers to the consistency of results in repeated experiments, while confounding of variables (option B) refers to the presence of extraneous variables that can affect the outcome of an experiment. Experimental manipulation (option C) refers to the systematic alteration of variables in an experiment to test their effect on the dependent variable. Hypothesis vs. reality testing (option D) refers to the process of testing whether the observed results support or contradict the hypothesized relationships between variables. While all of these concepts are important in the design and interpretation of experiments, external validity is most directly related to the question of generalizability.

The Extent to Which Experimental Results Can Be Generalized to Real-Life