Debunking legendary beliefs about student samples in marketing research

Abstract

The current research investigates three legendary beliefs related to sample definition and the selection of contextual target populations: the representativeness of samples, the willingness of research participants, and the homogeneity of samples. After identifying several current trends related to the use of college-students as data sources, data from three randomly drawn samples of students and consumers empirically debunks the legendary beliefs. Findings indicate the contextual setting of the research directly shapes the representativeness of drawn samples, the willingness of college students equals the willingness of non-college consumers, and drawing samples from the same institution artificially increases sample homogeneity. Debunking these legendary beliefs reveals the need for multiple‐sample research, probabilistic sample selection procedures, clearer discussions of qualifying criteria, and the consideration of new confounding factors (e.g., research subject incentivization). The article discusses how the truths of the legendary beliefs influence the generalizability of research results to contextual populations of interest.