Generalizability is the extent to which the results of a psychological study pertain to other people, contexts, or situations that were not part of the original research. It examines the external validity of research findings. High generalizability implies that the results of the study are likely to reflect real-world behavior. In contrast, low generalizability limits practical applicability. To improve generalizability, psychologists are encouraged to design studies with varied samples and realistic study conditions. This is fundamental to valuable research that aids in the understanding of human behavior. For instance, memory studies conducted solely with college students would not yield results that would be generalisable to the elderly.
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