RESEARCH STUDY 7.1
Dr. Oswald conducts a study examining the relationship between the number of friends one has and the experience of daily stress and life satisfaction. She randomly samples 1,500 elderly men and women in the Memphis, Tennessee, area in the southern United States. Below are her findings.
 Life satisfaction and experience of daily stress: r = -.57 (p = .01)
 Number of friends one has and experience of daily stress: r = .09, not sig.
 Number of friends one has and life satisfaction: r = .36 (p = .04)
-Refer to Research Study 7.1 above to answer the following question. Dr.Oswald submits her study for publication in a scientific journal.If one of the peer reviewers is concerned about the external validity of her study,which of the following is the most important aspect of Dr.Oswald's study to consider?
A) The random sampling technique used to recruit the participants
B) The 1,500 people in the sample
C) The use of three measured variables
D) The number of significant findings
E) All of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

External validity refers to the degree to which the findings of a study can be generalized to other populations or settings. In this case, the concern is about whether the sample of 1,500 elderly men and women in the Memphis, Tennessee, area is representative of the larger population of elderly individuals in other areas or in different countries. Therefore, the random sampling technique used to recruit the participants is the most important aspect to consider when evaluating the external validity of Dr. Oswald's study.

RESEARCH STUDY 7.1 Dr. Oswald Conducts a Study Examining the Relationship Between the Relationship