One of the most important elements of the scientific method is replication. Replication essentially means conducting the same research study a second time with another group of participants to see whether the same results are obtained (see Kazdin, 1992; Shaughnessy & Zechmeister, 1997). The same researcher may attempt to replicate previously obtained results, or perhaps other researchers may undertake that task. Replication illustrates an important point about scientific research—namely, that researchers should avoid drawing broad conclusions based on the results of a single research study because it is always possible that the results of that particular study were an aberration. In other words, it is possible that the results of the research study were obtained by chance or error and, therefore, that the results may not accurately represent the actual state of things. However, if the results of a research study are obtained a second time (i.e., replicated), the likelihood that the original study’s findings were obtained by chance or error is greatly reduced.
The importance of replication in research cannot be overstated. Replication serves several integral purposes, including establishing the reliability (i.e., consistency) of the research study’s findings and determining whether the same results can be obtained with a different group of participants. This last point refers to whether the results of the original study
are generalizable to other groups of research participants. If the results of a study are replicated, the researchers—and the field in which the researchers work—can have greater confidence in the reliability and generalizability of the original findings.
