For the results of a study to be accepted, they have to be credible and valid. It is irrefutable that social, internal, and external validity are crucial in any research in the efforts to ensure that it is a comprehensive study. In this context, there are various factors that are used to determine the validity of studies. Internal validity refers to the extent a research has established trustworthy cause-and-effect using the independent variable, but not through any other explanation (Trochim, Donnelly, & Arora, 2016). It eliminates other possibilities for a specific finding in a study. For example, when determining the effectiveness of a smoking session program, internal validity can be used to prove if the treatment provided in the program led to the behavior change.
External validity refers to the extent a result can be generalized or used in other settings. Ecological validity is one aspect of external validity and it determines if a study can be generalized in a real world setting (Trochim, Donnelly, & Arora, 2016).
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Social validity is the satisfaction or acceptability with an intervention, usually determined through the opinions of the people implementing them (Trochim, Donnelly, & Arora, 2016). The term was coined by behavior analyst to refer to the significance of social acceptability and importance of treatment procedures, goals, and outcomes.
Internal validity is high in a study if it has no confounding variables. A research has low internal validity if its variables are confusing. On the other hand, external validity is determined if the study takes into account the interactions of the variables in the real world. Finally, social validity is determined by evaluating if a study is socially important, the procedures are appropriate, and the outcomes are useful. Based on the nature and goal of a study, it is important to consider these categories of validity so that the study cannot stray from its intended purpose.
Reference
Trochim, W. M. K., Donnelly, J. P., & Arora, K. (2016). Research methods: The essential knowledge base . Boston: Cengage Learning
