Dr Moynihan Conducts a Study Examining the Relationship Between the Number

Essay

Dr. Moynihan conducts a study examining the relationship between the number of panic attacks a person experienced in the past month, the number of nightmares experienced in the past month, and people's levels of neuroticism (a personality trait characterized by instability, anxiety, and worry). She collects a convenience sample of 50 community college students (25 males, 25 females). Below are her findings.
•A (number of panic attacks in the past month and neuroticism): r =.03, not sig.
•B (number of panic attacks in the past month and number of nightmares in the past month): r =.14 (p = .05)
•C (number of nightmares in the past month and neuroticism): r = .48 (p = .003).
How strong is the external validity of Dr. Moynihan's study? How does the fact that she finds no differences in the associations in men and women also speak to the study's external validity?