Methodology: Sampling Flashcards

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1
Q

What is sampling?

A

A method used to gather participants for research.

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2
Q

Define a ‘sample’?

A

A group of people who are selected to represent the wider population.

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3
Q

Define a ‘representative sample’.

A

One that closely matches the population being studied in as many ways as possible.

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4
Q

Define ‘population’.

A

The total number of people in a particular group/area.

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5
Q

Define ‘target population’.

A

The group of people from which a sample is drawn to represent them in as many ways as possible.

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6
Q

What is the overall aim of a sampling technique?

A

To choose people who are representative of the population being studied.

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7
Q

List the 4 different types of sampling techniques.

A

1) Opportunity
2) Volunteer
3) Random
4) Stratified

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8
Q

Define an ‘opportunity sample’.

A

Members of the target population that fit the desired criteria that happen to be available at the time of research.

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9
Q

When are opportunity samples most frequently used?

A

In a natural experiment or naturalistic observation.

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10
Q

Give an example of an opportunity sample in social psychology.

A

Using the first 20 students who walk into a cafeteria to fill out a questionnaire.

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11
Q

Give 1 strength of opportunity sampling.

A

1) Quick, easy, and cheap to gain a sample due to using whatever is available at the time and so wouldn’t spend money on other methods

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12
Q

Give 2 weaknesses of opportunity sampling.

A

1) Low generalisability - due to having a biased sample of people being in the same place at same time sharing traits and so wouldn’t represent the whole population
2) Low validity - experimenter bias may lead researcher to choose a sample that is similar to them in regards to culture

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13
Q

Define a ‘volunteer sample’.

A

A group of people who put themselves forward to take part in research in response to advertisements.

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14
Q

When are volunteer samples most frequently used?

A

When conducting lab experiments.

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15
Q

Give an example of a volunteer sample in social psychology.

A

Milgram’s (1963) ppts who responded to an advertisement about a study to do with memory.

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16
Q

Give 2 strengths of volunteer sampling.

A

1) High ethics - those who decide to put themselves forward for research have given informed consent
2) Quick and easy to do as researcher doesn’t have to go out and recruit ppts themselves therefore saves time and money and so is more effective

17
Q

Give 1 weakness of volunteer sampling.

A

1) Low generalisability - people who sign up to take part share similar traits to others in the sample and so are unrepresentative of the wider population

18
Q

Define a ‘random sample’.

A

A technique in which every member of the target population has an equal chance of being chosen and involves every member of the target population being identified to be included.

19
Q

Give an example of a random sample in social psychology.

A

Putting everyone’s names into a random name generator and choosing them the take part in the study.

20
Q

Give 1 strength of random sampling.

A

1) High validity - everyone has an equal chance of being chosen and so sample isn’t bias due to not one type of person being more likely to get chosen

21
Q

Give 2 weaknesses of random sampling.

A

1) Low generalisability - the sample can become unrepresentative if a disproportionate amount of girls are randomly selected
2) Time consuming to gain all the names of a target population to take a random sample from and so is less efficient compared to others

22
Q

Define a ‘stratified sample’.

A

Randomly selecting a set number of people from separate categories (strata) of a target population.

23
Q

Give an example of a stratified sample in social psychology.

A

Wanting to equally represent males and females in a study of human behaviour focused on obedience.

24
Q

Give 2 strengths of stratified sampling.

A

1) High validity - everyone within the separate strati has an an equal chance of being selected which therefore removes bias of one type of person being more likely to get chosen
2) High generalisability - the strata used will be equally representative of the target population

25
Q

Give 2 weaknesses of stratified sampling.

A

1) Low validity - there may be bias in trying to represent what the researcher thinks are key characteristics of the population leading to subjectivity
2) The most time consuming sampling method due to gaining all the names of the target population then categorising what is to be represented then randomly selecting from each strata