If replication yields different findings than the original study, what happens to generalizability?

• A. Increases
• B. Decreases
• C. Remains unchanged
• D. Becomes irrelevant

Answer: (B)

Replication tests whether findings hold up across different samples and settings, which is what generalizability is all about. When a replication yields different findings from the original, it signals that the result may not apply broadly beyond the original study’s specific conditions. In other words, the observed effect isn’t reliably observed in other groups or contexts, so the ability to generalize to other populations or situations is diminished. If the effect were consistent across replications, that would support broader generalization; inconsistency weakens that general claim.