The falsifiability criterion states that for a theory to be useful, its predictions must be:

• A. Specific and testable
• B. Highly complex
• C. Broad and unfalsifiable
• D. Derived from a single experiment

Answer: (A)

The idea behind falsifiability is that a theory becomes scientifically useful only when it makes predictions that are specific and testable. With precise, testable predictions, researchers can design experiments or observations that could potentially show the theory to be false. This openness to being disproven is what lets theories be challenged, refined, or discarded in light of new evidence, driving scientific progress.

That’s why the best answer is the one that says predictions must be specific and testable. If a theory makes vague or flexible claims, it can accommodate any outcome and thus cannot be meaningfully tested. A theory doesn’t have to be highly complex to be falsifiable; it just needs to make clear predictions that can be checked. It also shouldn’t be broad and unfalsifiable, because that would prevent empirical scrutiny. And relying on a single experiment isn’t sufficient for establishing a robust theory—reliable theories are supported by multiple, independent tests across different conditions.