Question

According to the article "Effect of Preparation Methods on Total Fat Content, Moisture Content, and Sensory Characteristics of Breaded Chicken Nuggets and Beef Steak Fingers" (Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal [1999]: 18-27), sensory tests were conducted using 40 college student volunteers at Texas Women's University. Give three reasons, other than the relatively small sample size, why it would not be a good idea to generalize any study results to the population of all college students.

Short answer

Three reasons not to generalize this study's results are potential biases inherent in the sample selection, the effects of the volunteer bias given the voluntary participation, and the specific subject matter of the research being potentially unreflective of general behaviors or preferences among all college students.

Step-by-step solution

Identifying Potential Biases in Sample Selection

One reason could be the inherent biases in the sample selection. When conducting a study at a specific place (in this case, Texas Women's University), the sample might not be representative of the entire population of college students. The students in this specific University might have different lifestyles, preferences, or backgrounds that make them different from students in other universities.

Considering the Effect of Voluntary Participation

A second reason would be the voluntary nature of the participants affecting the outcomes of the study. Depending on the motivation behind their participation, volunteers may not be representative of all college students. This volunteer bias might skew the results, making it less applicable when generalizing to the entire college student population.

Understanding the Limitations of the Subject Matter

Third, the subject matter of the research might limit our ability to generalize the findings. The study examines sensory tests relating to breaded chicken nuggets and beef steak fingers. This is very specific and may not be reflective of general behaviors or preferences among all college students.