What term describes the issue where certain groups may be overrepresented in research, affecting generalizations?

The term "bias" describes the issue where certain groups may be overrepresented in research, affecting the validity of generalizations made from the study. Bias can occur in various forms within research, leading to skewed results that do not accurately reflect the broader population. For instance, if a study primarily includes participants from a specific demographic—such as a particular age group, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status—it might not be applicable or generalizable to those outside that group. This can result in conclusions that may perpetuate stereotypes or overlook the experiences of other populations.

While bias focuses specifically on such representation disparities, other options like sampling error refer to the discrepancies between a sample's characteristics and the overall population, which can sometimes be a separate issue. Confounding variables are extraneous factors that can influence the outcomes of a study, inadvertently affecting the validity of the research findings. A response set involves a tendency for participants to respond to survey questions in a particular way, rather than considering each item independently, which can affect the data's integrity but is distinct from issues related to group representation.