What is the likely effect of using random sampling on the generalizability of findings?

What is the likely effect of using random sampling on the generalizability of findings?

• A. Increases generalizability
• B. Decreases generalizability
• C. No effect
• D. Only affects reliability

Answer: (A)

Random sampling boosts generalizability because it gives every member of the population an equal chance to be included. This reduces selection bias and helps the sample reflect the population's characteristics. When the sample resembles the population, the study findings are more likely to apply beyond just the people studied, increasing external validity. If sampling isn’t random, certain groups can be overrepresented or underrepresented, limiting how well results generalize. So the likely effect of random sampling is an increase in generalizability. It’s for external validity rather than reliability, which concerns the consistency of measurements rather than who was included in the study.

Random sampling boosts generalizability because it gives every member of the population an equal chance to be included. This reduces selection bias and helps the sample reflect the population's characteristics. When the sample resembles the population, the study findings are more likely to apply beyond just the people studied, increasing external validity. If sampling isn’t random, certain groups can be overrepresented or underrepresented, limiting how well results generalize. So the likely effect of random sampling is an increase in generalizability. It’s for external validity rather than reliability, which concerns the consistency of measurements rather than who was included in the study.