Compared with a previous study, a proposed follow-up study should demonstrate:

A follow-up study is often designed to build upon prior research findings and strengthen the overall body of evidence regarding a specific hypothesis or area of inquiry. In this context, achieving greater internal validity would imply that the follow-up study has improved methods to accurately measure the effects of the independent variable on the dependent variable, thus minimizing potential biases and confounding factors.

Greater internal validity is particularly critical in follow-up studies because it enhances the confidence that observed effects are truly attributable to the experimental manipulation rather than extraneous variables. However, there can often be a trade-off when it comes to external validity, which refers to the generalizability of research findings to real-world settings and populations outside the study sample.

In some cases, increasing internal validity might involve using more controlled environments or highly specific subject populations, which can inadvertently limit how well findings apply to broader contexts (i.e., the generalizability to wider groups or real-world scenarios). As researchers focus on refining specific aspects of the study to ensure robust measurement and control, the ability to generalize those findings may become compromised.

Thus, while striving for a thorough examination of a hypothesis and ensuring accurate interpretations, a follow-up study could achieve greater internal validity but might not extend the same level of generalizability to