Statistical Validity

Statistical Validity is the extent to which the conclusions drawn from a statistical test are accurate and reliable. To achieve statistical validity, researchers must have an adequate sample size and pick the right statistical test to analyze the data.

Let’s say you're studying a new drug for headaches, and you compare the outcomes of a experimental group to those of a control group who didn’t receive the drug. You find that everyone in the experimental group improved, so you conclude that the drug caused their improvement. But you only had 3 people in the experimental group. With such a small sample size, your conclusions are not statistically valid. Your results could have been due to chance rather than the drug.