How could a nurse researcher's use of a homogeneous sample weaken a research study?
A) By decreasing the reliability of the findings
B) By decreasing the generalizability of the findings
C) By increasing the number of subjects needed to reach statistical significance
D) By increasing the risk that the findings were the result of chance alone

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Homogeneous samples are composed of individuals who share similar characteristics, such as age, gender, ethnicity, or health status. While homogeneous samples can increase the internal validity of a study by reducing extraneous variability, they may also weaken the external validity or generalizability of the findings. This is because a homogeneous sample may not represent the diversity of the population, and the findings may not be applicable to individuals who differ from the sample in terms of the excluded characteristics. For example, if a nurse researcher studies the effects of a new pain medication on a sample of young, healthy adults, the findings may not be relevant to older adults or individuals with comorbidities. Thus, the use of a homogeneous sample may limit the applicability of the findings to the broader population, and the nurse researcher should consider the trade-off between internal and external validity when selecting a sampling strategy.

How Could a Nurse Researcher's Use of a Homogeneous Sample