Final answer:
To improve the reliability of experimental results that support a hypothesis, a scientist should repeat the experiment with a larger sample size. This helps ensure the consistency of the results and that they are not an accident, increasing the robustness of the support for the hypothesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a scientist's experiment results support the hypothesis, the next step to improve the reliability of the findings would be a) Repeat the experiment with a larger sample size. This action is crucial because it helps to verify that the results are not due to chance, and it provides a greater pool of data to strengthen the hypothesis. Therefore, the answer disregards option b), as it's critical to consider the possibility of anomalies or errors in the initial results, option c), because it suggests invalid scientific practice to fit the hypothesis to the results rather than testing the hypothesis as it is, and option d), as unrelated variables would not provide further validation for the current hypothesis.
In the scientific method, once a hypothesis has been tested and supported by experimental data, scientists often repeat the experiment or carry out further experiments to test the hypothesis in different ways or under different conditions. This approach lends credence to the hypothesis as a description of natural phenomena and ensures that the results are consistent and not an artifact of the experimental design or conduct.
To strengthen the solidity of a scientific claim, various iterations of testing, sometimes including peer review and replication by others, are employed. Only through repetitive confirming results does a hypothesis begin to gain wide acceptance and contribute to scientific knowledge.