Which concept refers to the extent to which a study’s results can be attributed to the treatment rather than other factors?

The concept that refers to the extent to which a study’s results can be attributed to the treatment rather than other factors is known as internal validity. Internal validity assesses whether the relationship observed between the treatment (or intervention) and the observed outcomes is genuine and not influenced by other variables or confounding factors. This is crucial in experimental and quasi-experimental studies, where researchers strive to establish a clear causal link between the treatment and the results.

High internal validity means that the study design effectively rules out alternative explanations for the results, confirming that changes in the dependent variable are indeed a result of the treatment applied. This ensures that any observed effects can be confidently attributed to the intervention itself, providing a solid foundation for making informed conclusions and policy decisions based on the findings.

In contrast, external validity relates to how generalizable findings are to other contexts or populations, construct validity involves the extent to which a test or instrument accurately measures what it intends to measure, and content validity assesses the adequacy of the content of a test or measure in representing the construct in question. While these concepts are important in research, they do not focus specifically on the attribution of study results to the treatment, making internal validity the most relevant concept in this context.