Our ability to draw appropriate conclusions based on the results of an experiment depends most of all on the

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Internal validity refers to the extent to which an experiment is able to measure and control the variables it intends to measure and control. If an experiment has high internal validity, we can have confidence that the results are due to the independent variable (the variable being manipulated) and not to other extraneous variables or factors. Therefore, the ability to draw appropriate conclusions from an experiment depends most of all on the experiment's internal validity. External validity (extent to which results can be generalized to other populations or settings) is also important, but it is secondary to internal validity in terms of drawing conclusions from an experiment. The amount of variation in the experiment and statistical significance of the findings are also important, but again, these factors are dependent on internal validity.

Our Ability to Draw Appropriate Conclusions Based on the Results