Generalisation is more likely when the sample is what?

Generalisation is more likely when the sample is what?

• A. Sample size.
• B. Participants' education level.
• C. Representativeness of the sample.
• D. The number of researchers.

Answer: (C)

External validity is about whether findings from a study can apply to the broader population. Generalisation is more likely when the sample is representative of the population because a representative sample mirrors the population’s key characteristics. When the sample matches the population, the measured effects are less distorted by sampling bias, making it more plausible that the results would be observed in people outside the study as well. A larger sample size helps reduce sampling error and increase precision, but it doesn’t by itself guarantee representativeness. Education level isn’t in itself a guarantee of generalisability unless it reflects a feature of the population you aim to generalise to. The number of researchers can influence consistency and potential bias in data collection, but it doesn’t directly determine whether the results will generalise to the population.

External validity is about whether findings from a study can apply to the broader population. Generalisation is more likely when the sample is representative of the population because a representative sample mirrors the population’s key characteristics. When the sample matches the population, the measured effects are less distorted by sampling bias, making it more plausible that the results would be observed in people outside the study as well.

A larger sample size helps reduce sampling error and increase precision, but it doesn’t by itself guarantee representativeness. Education level isn’t in itself a guarantee of generalisability unless it reflects a feature of the population you aim to generalise to. The number of researchers can influence consistency and potential bias in data collection, but it doesn’t directly determine whether the results will generalise to the population.