3. sampling methods

Question 1

target population

Answer 1

a group that the researcher is interested in studying, normally shares a common trait, eg students, their age, their gender

Question 2

sample

Answer 2

a group selected to represent the target pop.

Question 3

representative

Answer 3

typical of a setting, situation, or group of people, therefore generalisable

Question 4

generalisability

Answer 4

how widely results/findings apply, eg to other members of the population, etc

Question 5

representative sample

Answer 5

(eg 6 men 6 women), results have higher generalisability, more confidence in generalising conclusions

Question 6

non-representative sample

Answer 6

(eg 10 men 2 women) results have lower generalisability, less confidence in generalising conclusions

Question 7

ethno-centric bias

Answer 7

when the sample only includes one type of person, eg all white females or all men named ben.
- biased, unrepresentative, does not reflect target population accurately

Question 8

opportunity samples

Answer 8

selecting ppt who are available at the time, eg going up to people at cafes and interviewing

Question 9

cons of opportunity sampling

Answer 9

• unlikely to be representative
• ppt in the same place likely share similar characteristics
• researchers choice may be biased
• ppt may feel forced into participation

Question 10

pros of opportunity sampling

Answer 10

• easy, quick
• may lead to larger samples
• economical, saves money
• most commonly used

Question 11

random sampling

Answer 11

all members of a population are identified, then a fixed amount are selected randomly, eg names in a hat, pull out names

Question 12

cons of random sampling

Answer 12

• time consuming
• expensive
• no guarantee sample is unbiased
• some ppt may be inaccessible

Question 13

pros of random sampling

Answer 13

• easy (ish)
• more likely to be representative (all members have an equal chance to be selected)

Question 14

volunteer sampling

Answer 14

ppt put themselves forward to participate in a study, eg after seeing an advert or poster

Question 15

cons of volunteer sampling

Answer 15

• unlikely to be representative, only certain people may see or respond
• ppt may share characteristics, lowering representation

Question 16

pros of volunteer sampling

Answer 16

• easy, quick
• no researcher bias
• ethical and ppt will be motivated (low drop out rate)
• good for unusual target populations, eg schizophrenic patients

Question 17

features vs characteristics

Answer 17

features ‘of a sample’ refers to ppt variables and how they were recruited, eg volunteer sampling, response to ad, etc

characteristics ‘of a sample’ refers to ppt variables, eg gender, nationality, age group, occupation, etc