Sample and Sampling

Question 1

Define sample.

Answer 1

Who takes part in the research and usually referred to as participants.

Question 2

Define sampling.

Answer 2

The process/ technique used to recruit participants from the population.

Question 3

Define target population.

Answer 3

The group of people psychologists want to be able to generalise their findings to.

Question 4

Define ethnocentrism.

Answer 4

When the sample are of one ethnicity or from one place.

Question 5

Define higher cognitive ability.

Answer 5

Gifted academically or a specialist in that field of knowledge.

Question 6

Define random sampling.

Answer 6

When everyone in the sample has an equal chance of being chosen.

Question 7

Give an example of random sampling.

Answer 7

Putting everyone’s names in a hat and choosing a specific amount of names randomly.

Question 8

What are the strengths of random sampling?

Answer 8

It is the most unbiased sampling technique.

Question 9

What are the weaknesses of random sampling?

Answer 9

• Could accidentally lack diversity.
• Time consuming.
• Some randomly selected participants may not want to participate.

Question 10

Define androcentric.

Answer 10

Male dominant sample.

Question 11

Define gynocentric.

Answer 11

Female dominant sample.

Question 12

Give a phrase that means the ages are spread out across the sample.

Answer 12

Wide age bracket.

Question 13

Define opportunity sampling.

Answer 13

Selecting people that are readily available at the time.

Question 14

Give an example of opportunity sampling.

Answer 14

Going up to people in your school to ask them to participate in your study.

Question 15

What are the strengths of opportunity sampling?

Answer 15

• It’s quick, easy and economical.

Question 16

What are the weaknesses of opportunity sampling?

Answer 16

• The researcher may show bias with who they go up to.
• The people readily available may not be diverse.

Question 17

Define self-selecting/ volunteer sampling.

Answer 17

When participants volunteer themselves to participate in the research.

Question 18

Give an example of volunteer sampling.

Answer 18

The researcher puts an advert on a notice board with an email address and people send an email if they’re interested.

Question 19

What are the strengths of volunteer sampling?

Answer 19

• The participants are less likely to withdraw as they were willing to participate.

Question 20

What are the weaknesses of volunteer sampling?

Answer 20

• Time consuming to wait for enough volunteers.
• Sample may lack diversity.

Question 21

Define snowball sampling.

Answer 21

When participants recruit other participants for a study.

Question 22

Give an example of snowball sampling.

Answer 22

Asking a participant to ask other people they know (that fit the criteria) to participate in the study that they are in.

Question 23

What are the strengths of snowball sampling?

Answer 23

• Useful when researching niche target populations.
• Useful when struggling to recruit people for the study.

Question 24

What are the weaknesses of snowball sampling?

Answer 24

• Sample is likely to be unrepresentative as they all know each other.