PSYC 3003: Replication, Generalization, and External Validity

This report discusses the concept of replication in psychology, outlining four main types: exact, conceptual, constructive, and participant replication. Exact replication aims to reproduce a study's methods as closely as possible to verify results. Conceptual replication tests the same hypothesis using different variables. Constructive replication adds new conditions to an original study, and participant replication involves changing the study's participant group. The report also examines the relationship between replication, generalization, and external validity, highlighting how successful replication supports the generalizability of research findings to real-world settings, thereby validating the study's external validity. This report uses examples to illustrate the application of each replication type, and provides an overview of the key concepts in research methodology. The report aims to help students understand the importance of replication in psychological research.

0Running head: PSYC 3003
PSYC 3003
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author’s note

1PSYC 3003
Different types of replication:
The four types of replication are as follows:
1. Exact replication: The goal of exact replication is to repeat previous research study in the
same manner as far as possible. Hence, exact replication can be said as an attempt to copy
all methods of previous research to determine the consistency in results (Stangor, 2014).
One example of exact replication in psychology includes a study has found online CBT
technique helps to reduce depressive symptoms in participants from Greece. Another
study with same research design and same approach can be replicated again in new
setting to determine the consistency of result.
2. Conceptual replication: It is defined as the process where researcher finds the
relationship between the same conceptual variable that was studied previously, however
the hypothesis is tested with different independent and dependent variables (Stangor,
2014). For example, when assessing impact of environment on increasing anxiety, the
first research can use violent videos as stimuli, whereas another research can use violent
people around people as stimuli for increase in anxiety.
3. Constructive replication: It is a research method in which same hypothesis as original
research is used, however new conditions are added to analyze the changes on previously
observed relationship (Stangor, 2014). For example, in a RCT study, one study used
aerobic exercise to assess cognitive function in dementia patient and another research can
use another exercise or combine two to find the change in cognitive function.
4. Participant replication: This type of replication is done by not changing the design of
research, but changing the type of participants for research (Stangor, 2014). For example

2PSYC 3003
one study might investigate the effect of aerobic exercise on old people above 50 years,
other can do the same with adolescent children.
Relation of replication with the concept of generalization and external validity:
Replication is related to the concept of generalization because if any study is
generalizable to real population setting, then it can be easily replicated too. Easy replication of
research in target setting will in turn prove the external validity of the study (Tsang, 2014).

3PSYC 3003
Reference
Stangor, C. (2014). Research methods for the behavioral sciences. Nelson Education.
Tsang, E. W. (2014). Generalizing from research findings: The merits of case
studies. International Journal of Management Reviews, 16(4), 369-383.