Psychology Paper 3: Interview Flashcards
Purposive Sampling
Targets a particular group of people determined by particular characteristics that are relevant to the research topic.
Snowball sampling
When researchers ask participants to invite other participants like them to participate
Opportunity Sampling
Based on convenience. Uses populations available at the time and willing to take part
Semi-structured Interview
Small number of pre-prepared open-ended questions that allows the researchers to identify respondent’s own idea into the interview
Focus Group
A moderator who stimulates discussion and encourages each participant to give a response.
Strength of focus group
-Quick and convenient way to collect data from several individuals simultaneously
-Rich data
-Other participants might trigger ideas of another
-Provides a natural setting, so has high ecological validity
-Useful for exploring peoples opinions
Limitations
-The presence of other participants may result in group dynamics such as conformity
-Could have ethical issues: Other participants might not keep confidentiality
-Not appropriate for all research questions
-Distorted answers may be given in fear of going against the group
Strengths of semi-structured interviews
-Flexibility of open-ended questions enables the researcher to ask participants to expand
-Less biased by the researcher’s preconceptions. No leading questions
-Better for acquiring data on socially sensitive subjects
-Allows for analysis in a variety of ways
Limitations of semi-structured interviews
-One on one situation is somewhat artificial, so could lower ecological validity
-Data analysis is time consuming
Limitations of purposive sampling
-Allows for too much subjectivity into research process
Strengths of purposive sampling
Participants represent research topic. Based on salient characteristics
Strengths of snowball sampling
-Cost efficient
-Gain trust of participants for sensitive research
Limitations of snowball sampling
-Sample bias: Participants may be more likely to refer people who share their characteristics or experiences, which can skew the sample.
-Limited generalizability: Because snowball sampling often relies on referrals from participants’ personal networks, the sample may not be representative of the larger population.
