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.The reviewer notes that parents who gave consent to participate in the study were from a higher socioeconomic class than the population as a whole.This is a threat to:
A) construct validity.
B) external validity.
C) internal validity.
D) statistical conclusion validity.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that the parents who participated in the study were from a higher socioeconomic class than the population as a whole is a potential source of selection bias that threatens external validity. It is possible that the results of the study may not generalize to premature infants from other socioeconomic backgrounds.

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