Ecological validity is a term used in psychology research to describe the degree to which results of a study can be generalized to real-life settings. This concept is important because research conducted in laboratory settings may not accurately reflect behavior in natural settings. Thus, when researchers investigate a phenomenon, they must consider the ecological validity of their study to ensure that their results can be applied to the real world.
The concept of ecological validity has been discussed in various fields of psychology since the 1970s. For instance, in 1977, Campbell and Stanley proposed a research design that could be used to assess the ecological validity of a study. Their approach involved measuring participant behavior in a laboratory setting and then comparing it to behavior in a natural setting. This method has since been widely adopted by researchers of all kinds.
In addition to Campbell and Stanley’s approach, other researchers have proposed various methods of assessing ecological validity. For instance, in 1993, McGraw and Wong proposed a three-dimensional model of ecological validity that includes the degree to which the study is representative of the real-world setting, the degree to which the study is generalizable to other settings, and the degree to which the study’s results can be applied to real-world situations. This approach has been widely adopted in psychology research as a way to evaluate the ecological validity of a study.
In conclusion, ecological validity is an important concept in psychology research. Researchers must consider the ecological validity of their studies in order to make sure that their results can be applied to real-world settings. Various methods have been proposed to assess the ecological validity of a study, including Campbell and Stanley’s approach and McGraw and Wong’s three-dimensional model.
References
Campbell, D. T., & Stanley, J. C. (1977). The internal and external validity of experiments. In J. W. Best (Ed.), Research in education (pp. 175-180). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
McGraw, K. O., & Wong, S. P. (1993). A three-dimensional model of ecological validity. Applied Psychological Measurement, 17(3), 253-262. doi:10.1177/014662169301700306