Paper 1 · Research Aptitude
UGC NET June 2023 (19.06.2023) Shift-I
In studies involving human subjects, there could be short-term or long-term changes in participants because of psychological changes like boredom and fatigue. This would constitute which of the following threats to internal validity?
AMaturation threat ✓ Correct
BHistory threat
CSelection threat
DInstrumentation threat
Correct answer: (A) Maturation threat — This is a maturation threat, so the answer is maturation threat.
Explanation
★This is a maturation threat, so the answer is maturation threat.
★Maturation refers to natural changes within participants over time.
★These include growing older, more tired, more bored or wiser during the study.
★Such internal changes can imitate or mask a real treatment effect.
★Boredom and fatigue are exactly these within-participant changes, so it is maturation.
★A history threat comes from external events, and a selection threat from group differences.
★An instrumentation threat comes from changes in the measuring tool, not the participants.
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