Internal, external, and social validity are critical to behavioral research since they affect its relevance and significance. Internal validity determines the accuracy of research in the context of methodology as it concerns the fundamentals of the study process. Assurance of the research’s internal validity is vital to the results’ reliability (Mertens, 2019). In this regard, the research procedures are essential because mistakes can lead to incorrect results in behavioral research. For instance, choosing the wrong methods and techniques or setting the wrong frequency of experiments in a study inherently loses relevance. Thus, internal validity reflects the rationality of research design and is an essential aspect of behavioral research.
External validity determines the study’s relevance in selecting and filtering information about participant selection, research progress, and results. Thus, it determines the extent to which the findings are valid for the population group based on the selection of participants and interaction with them (Mertens. 2019). Shortcomings in this aspect of validity lead to an inability to apply the results to the stated group of people rationally. For example, bias in the selection of study participants is a factor that will prevent the research from being relevant to the group initially selected. Furthermore, serious bias may critically impact the course and results of the study leading to a complete loss of relevance. In general, the importance of external validity is determined by the crucial importance of this factor for the research relevance regarding the applicability of the results to large population groups.
Social validity is critical to research because it involves several important aspects. These aspects include the social relevance and acceptability of the research methods primarily. These characteristics are crucial as they allow for proper interaction between study facilitators and participants (Mertens, 2019). In addition, social validity reflects the relevance of the research to the selected group. For instance, behavioral research may be considered valid if it is relevant to the selected group and does not contradict social and ethical norms and principles. Therefore, social validity is critical to behavioral research since it determines the study’s relevance in the context of social importance.
Reference
Mertens, D. M. (2019). Research and evaluation in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. SAGE Publications.