A researcher conducts a quasi-experimental study to determine whether there is improved weight gain among premature infants who are fed according to cue-based protocols.The researcher trained neonatal intensive care nurses to apply cue-based feeding to orally fed infants and notes a statistical difference in weight gain between infants fed according to cue-based protocols and those fed according to standard protocols.Which might be a threat to internal validity in this study?
A) The concept of cue-based feeding is not well defined.
B) The study sample is homogeneous.
C) Some infants developed gastroenteritis.
D) Not all nurses received cue-based protocol education.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Internal validity looks at the influence of extraneous variables on study outcomes.Inadequate definitions of constructs are threats to construct validity.External validity is concerned with the extent to which findings can be generalized beyond the study sample.A study with a more homogenous sample is less likely to have findings that can be generalized to other populations.Statistical conclusion validity is concerned with whether the conclusions based on statistical analyses are an accurate reflection of the real world.If not,all nurses received cue-based education,the intervention implementation will be unreliable.

A Researcher Conducts a Quasi-Experimental Study to Determine Whether There