Theory-testing researchers prioritize internal validity. Random samples might not be used because they are testing hypotheses rather than the reality in a population. They do not concentrate on proving or disproving the truth or applicability in a specific community or critical demographic. When in theory testing mode, external validity matters less than internal validity. Theory testing mode often demands that experimenters create artificial situations that allow them to minimize distractions, eliminate alternative explanations, and isolate individual features of some cases (Morling, 2017). The theory testing mode prioritizes internal validity at the expense of all other considerations, including ecological validity (Morling, 2017).

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