If the operational definition were instead something like this: “If someone entering the hospital does not (A) wear scrubs/lab coat, (B), have a hospital badge visible, they count as a visitor. For all visitors, if they stop their forward motion and either stand still for 1+ seconds or change direction at least once, they should be counted as an instance of ‘confusion.’” a. What kind of validity would this definition maximize, and why? (Choose one and explain) construct validity external validity internal validity
Researchers at a local hospital want to know whether they really need to have staffed information booths at all of the hospital entrances or just by the main doors at the front of the building. The hospital administration wants to make sure that people get the help they need when they come in, but having employees stationed at multiple centers is very expensive. To address this question, the researchers decide to do two separate observational studies. First, they poll everyone entering each doorway to see whether they are first-time or repeat visitors. They find that 90% of the visitors using doors other than the main entrance have been to the hospital before. Then they conduct the second study: They station research assistants in the side/back entrance halls to observe the behavior of visitors during periods of time when (1) the information booths are fully staffed, (2) when the booths are unstaffed and a sign is posted that points towards the main entrance, and (3) when the booths are unstaffed with no sign.
- If the operational definition were instead something like this: “If someone entering the hospital does not (A) wear scrubs/lab coat, (B), have a hospital badge visible, they count as a visitor. For all visitors, if they stop their forward motion and either stand still for 1+ seconds or change direction at least once, they should be counted as an instance of ‘confusion.’”
a. What kind of validity would this definition maximize, and why? (Choose one and explain)
- construct validity
- external validity
- internal validity
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