To strengthen external validity, replication could involve which approach?

• A. It would reproduce exactly the same sample.
• B. It would involve different colleges and different ages/locations.
• C. It would use the same participants.
• D. It would reduce sample diversity.

Answer: (B)

External validity is about whether findings generalize beyond the specific people, places, and times of a study. To strengthen it, replication should test the effect across different populations and settings. Using different colleges and varying ages and locations introduces variety in who is tested and where the study happens, showing the result isn’t tied to one group or a single campus. This helps demonstrate that the finding holds across diverse contexts, supporting generalization. Reproducing the exact same sample or using the same participants wouldn’t extend generalizability, and reducing sample diversity would narrow the scope and weaken external validity.