what is a target population
the large groups of individuals a researcher may be interested in studying
what should a sample be and why
representative of the target population so that findings can be generalised
what is the method of sampling
how you decide which people are in your study
what are the five sampling techniques
- random
- volunteer
- opportunity
- systematic
- stratified
what is random sampling
all members of a target population have an equal chance of being selected as all names are given a number and then numbers are selected from a hat or computer
what are strengths of random sampling
- free from researcher-bias so researcher has no influence over who is selected
- controls CVs and EVs
what are limitations of random sampling
- difficult, time consuming
- those selected may refuse so may end up like volunteer
what is volunteer sampling
ppts select themselves to be in the study e,g from an advert, notice board or newspaper
what are strengths of volunteer sampling
-convenient- saves money and time
what are limitations of volunteer sampling
- may not be representative of wider population
- volunteers attract certain types of people- those interested in psychology may be keen
what is opportunity sampling
-asking around to see whoever is available
what are strengths of opportunity sampling
-convenient- saves money and time
what are limitations of opportunity sampling
- results cannot be generalised as they are from specific areas
- researcher has complete control so may be an unfair sample
what is systematic sampling
selecting every nth person from the list (every 3rd and 6th)
what are strengths of systematic sampling
- free from researcher bias
- usually fairly representative
what are weaknesses of systematic sampling
difficult and time consuming
what is stratified sampling
divides population into each sub-group (strata) based on specific characteristics
what are strengths of stratified sampling
- free from researcher bias
- accurately represents composition of the population
what are weaknesses of stratified sampling
even stratification isn’t perfect as there are differences that are not considered with these sub groups
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Experimental methods6
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Variables6
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Research issues8
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Experimental designs13
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Types of experiment13
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Sampling19
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Ethical issues10
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Pilot studies(and more)5
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Observation25
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Self report techniques13
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Scatter graphs and correlation9
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Mathematical content12
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Data Analysis- descriptive statistics14
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Data Analysis-graphs6
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Data Analysis- kinds of data14
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Reporting psychological investigations20
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Implications of psychological research for the economy2
