External Validity
Definition
Whether the findings of a scientific study can be generalized to other contexts outside the study context (different measures, settings, people, places, and times). Statistically, threats to external validity may reflect interactions whereby the effect of one factor (the independent variable) depends on another factor (a confounding variable). External validity may also be limited by the study design (e.g., an artificial laboratory setting or a non-representative sample).
References:
- Lynch, J. G., Jr. (1982). On the External Validity of Experiments in Consumer Research. Journal of Consumer Research, 9(3), 225. https://doi.org/10.1086/208919
- Steckler, A., & McLeroy, K. R. (2008). The Importance of External Validity. American Journal of Public Health, 98(1), 9–10. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2007.126847
Originally drafted by: Annalise A. LaPlume
Reviewed by: Mahmoud Elsherif, Helena Hartmann, Kai Krautter, Oscar Lecuona, Flávio Azevedo
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