By choosing to conduct a study in a research laboratory instead of its natural setting, researchers gain _____, but lose _____.
A) internal validity; generalizability
B) internal validity; independence
C) generalizability; internal validity
D) generalizability; independence

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Conducting a study in a research laboratory provides greater control over extraneous variables, which enhances internal validity (the extent to which causal conclusions can be drawn from the study). However, the artificial setting of a laboratory may limit the generalizability of the findings to real-life situations, thereby decreasing external validity (the extent to which the findings can be generalized to other settings, populations, or time periods).

By Choosing to Conduct a Study in a Research Laboratory