Degree to which study results can be generalized to and across the people in the target population is termed what?

Degree to which study results can be generalized to and across the people in the target population is termed what?

• A. Population validity
• B. External validity
• C. Ecological validity
• D. Construct validity

Answer: (B)

The central idea is how well study findings apply beyond the exact people who were studied. This is captured by external validity—the broad notion of generalizability of results beyond the sample, including to the broader target population and across real-world contexts and times. Here, the focus is on whether what was found would hold for people in the target population, so external validity is the best fit. Ecological validity would concern real-world settings specifically, construct validity about measurement accuracy, and population validity is a narrower term about representativeness; in typical clinical psychology screening contexts, external validity covers generalizing to the target group and beyond.

The central idea is how well study findings apply beyond the exact people who were studied. This is captured by external validity—the broad notion of generalizability of results beyond the sample, including to the broader target population and across real-world contexts and times. Here, the focus is on whether what was found would hold for people in the target population, so external validity is the best fit. Ecological validity would concern real-world settings specifically, construct validity about measurement accuracy, and population validity is a narrower term about representativeness; in typical clinical psychology screening contexts, external validity covers generalizing to the target group and beyond.