1. How does the data relate to reality?
Ecological Validity
How does the data relate to reality?

2. “to what extent does the research reflect real-life situations”
Ecological Validity
“to what extent does the research reflect real-life situations”
It can either mean how realistic is an experiment eg.
Plane crash simulation
Mock trial
Or it can mean is that how we really behave? Eg.
Eyes test
Yuki’s emoticons

3. Ecological Validity
A piece of research can be described as having either, HIGH ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY OR LOW ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY And the distinction isn’t always clear cut…

4. HIGH ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY OR LOW ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY
Research into passenger behaviour during emergencies in planes.
Simulations can never capture the fear

5. HIGH ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY OR LOW ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY
Loftus and Palmer 1974 used videos of car crashes to test if differently phrased questions led to different approximations if speed. A video will never capture the full sensation of witnessing a car crash.
How fast were the cars going when they contacted each each other? 31.8 mph
How fast were the cars going when they collided with each other? mph

6. HIGH ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY OR LOW ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY
Mock trials are often used in Forensic Psychology A mock trial cannot be considered equal to real trial as the verdict does hold the same significance. However sometimes if the participants genuinely participate in the trial then surely their verdict would not differ in a real- life case?

7. HIGH ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY OR LOW ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY
Baron – Cohen et al used the eyes test to demonstrate how adults with autism or Asperger’s Syndrome performed less well reading the emotions in people’s eyes as shown here. However, is looking only a picture of the eyes how we really gauge people’s emotions in everyday life?

8. HIGH ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY OR LOW ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY
Piliavin et al conducted research into bystander behaviour (whether or not people would help an actor pretending to collapse). This was a field study and can be said to be high in ecological validity as the participants (the passengers) though it was real

9. Advanced discussion
Often ecological validity is improved at the expense of experimental control Mundane realism can lead to demand characteristics In harmful situations high ecological validity (realistic) may entail ethical considerations