If the claim is about whether the pattern is a consistent one, the claim is about statistical validity. Most claims will involve statistical validity. You will learn more about evaluating statistical validity in Chapter 4, but you can start by asking these questions.
If the claim is about whether the labels the researcher is giving the variables are accurate, you should question the study's construct validity by asking these questions.
If the claim is about whether something has an effect (e.g., that a treatment works), you should question the study's internal validity. Specifically, you should ask what research design they used, and you should see if they ruled out other explanations for the alleged effect.
If the claim is about whether the results would generalize to different people or settings, you should ask these questions about the study's external validity.