Which of the following factors affects the internal validity of experimental…
2025
Which of the following factors affects the internal validity of experimental research?
A. Placebo effect
B. Instrument Decay
C. Contemporary events
D. Hawthorne effect
E. Bias in selecting subjects in the sample
- A.
B, C, and E Only
- B.
B, C, and D Only
- C.
A, C, and D Only
- D.
C, D, and E Only
Attempted by 15 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Internal validity assesses whether observed effects are due to the intervention rather than other factors. Key threats include Instrument Decay (B), where measurement tools degrade over time; Contemporary events (C), or history effects, involving external influences during the study period; and Selection Bias (E), where groups are not equivalent at baseline. These factors undermine the causal inference of experimental research.