External validity refers to:

External validity refers to:

• A. External validity is the statistical significance of results.
• B. External validity is the reliability of measurement instruments.
• C. External validity is the applicability of results to other settings/populations.
• D. External validity is the internal consistency of the data.

Answer: (C)

External validity is about generalizability—the extent to which the results would hold true in different settings, with different people, or at different times beyond the study sample. It asks whether the observed effects would apply to other populations, locations, or conditions, not just the specific group or situation studied. This is distinct from reliability (consistency of measurements) and internal validity (whether the study design and analysis support a causal claim within the study) and not about statistical significance. For example, a therapy shown to help a particular group in urban clinics may or may not work in rural clinics or with different ages or cultures; questions about external validity address that broader applicability. Researchers enhance external validity by using representative samples, testing across varied settings, and replicating findings in diverse populations.

External validity is about generalizability—the extent to which the results would hold true in different settings, with different people, or at different times beyond the study sample. It asks whether the observed effects would apply to other populations, locations, or conditions, not just the specific group or situation studied. This is distinct from reliability (consistency of measurements) and internal validity (whether the study design and analysis support a causal claim within the study) and not about statistical significance. For example, a therapy shown to help a particular group in urban clinics may or may not work in rural clinics or with different ages or cultures; questions about external validity address that broader applicability. Researchers enhance external validity by using representative samples, testing across varied settings, and replicating findings in diverse populations.