Objective 1: Understanding Validity and internal validity

Case 1: The Fitness Centre’s Programe

The directors of a fitness center decide to test the effectiveness of a 1-month fitness
program. Eighty people volunteer for the experiment, and they randomly assign 40 to
each of two groups. Random assignment to conditions creates comparable groups at
the start of the experiment by balancing individuals’ characteristics such as
weight,fitness level, motivation, and so on across the two groups. Members of the
control group are simply asked to take a fitness test at the end of the month. Those in
the experimental group participate in a vigorous fitness program for 1 month prior to
the test. Assume 38 control participants show up for the fitness test at the end of the
month, but only 25 of the experimental participants stay with the rigorous fitness
program for the full month. Also assume that the average fitness score for the 25
people remaining in the experimental group is significantly higher than the average
score for the people in the control group. The directors of the fitness center then make
the claim, “A scientifically based research study has shown that our program leads to
better fitness.”
Do you think the fitness center’s claim is justified?

Case 2: The Energy drink’s Formula

Company X claims that their new energy drink invigorates the
mind (attention and engagement and hence improves academic
success) and improves physical growth (height, weight and Body
mass Index). The scientists of the Company work with 20000
randomly assigned children in class 5-8 (ages 10-13) from 65
schools in the 8 metros. Children’s physical and mental fitness on
standardized arithmetic/verbal tests and physical growth indices
is measured prior to the intervention. As intervention the subjects
get two doses of the drink mixed in milk twice a day for 5
months.{ The parents are invited for a workshop where nutrition
aspects are discussed; advice on concerted cultivation are
discussed and finally receive a diet chart too). After six months,
the company publishes its results where the scores of the 20000
students on various physical aspects (stamina test, running race
and weight-lifting) and Standardised tests (verbal and non-verbal
reasoning; vocabulary test and creative writing) are compared
against a non-equivalent group of 20000 students from across 15
towns and cities (not the same as the 8 metros). T-tests across
the two groups showed a significance for all the parameters.
Is the Company’s claim justified?
Case 3: The academic improvement program

At one large university, a group of education specialists wanted to test the effectiveness
of a newly designed academic improvement course. Students seeking academic help at
the university counseling center were asked to participate in this 6-week program. Only
students who were judged to have deficiencies in reading comprehension and other
study-related skills were chosen for the program. That is, students whose academic
problems were judged to be the result of emotional difficulties of one sort or another
were not enrolled in the program but were counseled in a manner more appropriate to
their problem. A group of 30 students completed the program at the counseling center.
A review of grades and teachers' comments revealed that a large majority of the
students were doing better in school after completing the program than before. The
difference between preprogram and post-program performance measures was
statistically significant.So is the claim justified?

Case 4: The police department’s study

Increase in crime (theft, robbery and assault on women and the aged for either chain-
snatching and theft) from 1245 cases in 2013 to 2389 cases in 2014 and 3636 in 2015
in certain residential locations of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderbad
occupied by the well-to-do-class has prompted the law enforcement authorities namely
the Police to insist upon the housing societies in these localities to tighten the
surveillance on their premises by establishing CCTV cameras. The rate of increase
(average of 79% over the three years) has been alarming and hence through persistent
negotiations and advertising a large number of housing societies have installed CCTV
cameras in specific locations as stipulated by the Police. The locations are as follows:
the entry and the exit points; the elevator zones and inside the elevator; and viewpoints
that cover the corridors and the main entrances of the residents’ flats. The Police in
Feb 2017 wants to examine if this system of surveillance has made the public in these
localities feel safe and if it had any effect on crime. Their intention is to expand this
model to other ‘risk’ localities of the twin cities. A t-test was performed The evaluation
reported a significant decrease in crime in these areas.