Convenience samples of college students and research reproducibility

Tests of theory in marketing and consumer behavior research are frequently based on convenience samples of undergraduate college students. In a study of business-related ethicality, analysis of data from four dozen convenience samples of undergraduate business students revealed significant differences in means, variances, intercorrelations, and path parameters across the samples. Depending on the particular convenience sample used, relationships between variables and constructs were positive or negative and statistically significant or insignificant. The present research empirically documents, for the first time, the uncertainty created by using convenience samples of college students as research subjects. Only through empirical replications can researchers pragmatically assess the reliability, validity, and generalizability of research findings.