Latane and Bidwell do not wish to generalize Experiments I and II to different areas

such as people, place, and time. They suggest how they wish not to generalize
these findings in particularly in the last part of the paper after the discussion of their
results about how their findings do not necessarily mean that all women may have
more of a need for affiliation than men. Latane and Bidwell note how this may not
be the case due to the manner in which their data was collected (in public settings
with college age women) and there might in fact be a tendency for women to be
alone in private. They note how their findings are consistent with other studies
examining this topic and how their data is consistent with the stereotype of women
socializing and affiliating more than men.
<p>
The process used to sample individuals in the experiments consisted of using a
convenience sample of college students on various campus locations in two
different campuses. The samples examined are not described in detail (ex-age,
major, etc.) other than the gender. In the experiments, researchers observed males
and females and whether or not they were seen in observance of others during
daylight hours. Since the sample was based on college students only in a campus
setting, the observations were made in variety of areas to ensure the sample was
representative of a university setting in general. However, the researchers
acknowledge limitations present in their studies such as how the data was collected
in public settings during daylight hours and how this may affect the generalizability
of their results.
<p>
The differences within the experiments include different locations in the campus
where individuals were observed. Individuals were observed sitting or walking
outside or whether they were near or in the cafeteria. One difference between the
two experiments is the campus in which the students were observed. One was
observed near the Midwest-Ohio State University. Another campus was in the East
coast (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Another difference between the
two is the time of year the students were observed. In OSU, students were observed
during the summer while at UNC students were observed in the fall.
<p>
Latane & Bidwell conclude from their findings that the stereotype often associated with women and their
desire to be affiliated with others is consistent with other studies also examining this topic. They suggest
that their findings indicate that college women are more likely to engage in public social interactions than
college men.

<p>
Since the sampling procedure consisted on focusing on college students in particular public areas of
campus and during a particular time of the day, the findings can not necessarily be generalized to all

women. However, the researchers note these limitations of their experiments and the bias it introduced.
They also note how these findings are consistent for college age women as well as other studies that
have looked at the topic of affiliation and gender. This acknowledgement does not necessarily improve
its ability to be generalized but helps the reader be aware of the limited ability to be generalized to all
women and what can be done to improve generalizability in future studies that also want to examine a
similar topic.
<p>