Psychology - Research Methods - Sampling and Pilot Studies

Question 1

What do psychological studies involve?

Answer 1

Samples from a larger population

Question 2

Target population

Answer 2

the entire group about which a researcher would like to be able to generalise their results to

Question 3

What should a sample be?

Answer 3

representative of the population

Question 4

Random sampling

Answer 4

When every member of the target population have the same chance of being selected

Question 5

What are the advantages of random sampling?

Answer 5

No researcher bias - Maximise representativeness - Can generalise from sample to population

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of random sampling?

Answer 6

Difficult to get full details of a target population - Not all members will be willing to take part, reducing sample

Question 7

Systematic sampling

Answer 7

Participants selected by taking every Nth person from a list

Question 8

What are the advantages of systematic sampling?

Answer 8

More simple that random sampling

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of systematic sampling?

Answer 9

Process of selection can interact with a hidden periodic trait in the population making it no longer random - Not all members may want to take part making it unrepresentative

Question 10

Stratified sampling

Answer 10

Classifying the population into categories and then randomly choosing a sample consisting participants from each category in the same proportion as they are in the population

Question 11

Strata

Answer 11

How groups are divided by characteristics

Question 12

What are the advantages of stratified sampling?

Answer 12

All groups within a population are included so it will be representative

Question 13

What are the disadvantages of stratified sampling

Answer 13

Time consuming to get target sample - Some people can not be classified to sample - Complete representation is not possible

Question 14

Opportunity sampling

Answer 14

A sample of participants produced by selecting people who are most easily available at the time of the study.

Question 15

What is the advantage of opportunity sampling?

Answer 15

Easiest and most practical method of ensuring large samples when compared to stratified sampling which may be time consuming and expensive

Question 16

What are the disadvantages of opportunity sampling?

Answer 16

There is a high chance the sample will not be representative and may be unethical

Question 17

What is volunteer sampling?

Answer 17

involves people volunteering to participate in a study

Question 18

What are the advantages of volunteer sampling?

Answer 18

Saves time and effort as they just need to make an advert and wait for participants

Question 19

What are the disadvantages of volunteer sampling?

Answer 19

A certain type of person tends to volunteer and may be unrepresentative (volunteer bias)

Question 20

What is a pilot study?

Answer 20

An initial run through of procedures used in an investigation, involving selecting a few people and trying the study. Can save time and money

Question 21

What can a pilot study help spot?

Answer 21

any ambiguities or confusion in info given to participants or problems with the tasks given

Question 22

floor effect

Answer 22

When a task is too hard, all performances are low as none of them can complete it

Question 23

ceiling effect

Answer 23

When the task is so easy that all achieve virtually full marks and are “hitting the ceiling”

Question 24

What is important to check in self-report pilot studies?

Answer 24

• The participants understand the questions - suitable options for closed questions - whether open questions are needed - whether the reporting method is appropriate

Question 25

What is important to check in observation pilot studies?

Answer 25

• Observers agree on operational definitions - Inter-observer reliability - Behavioural categories are clear - whether behaviour is affected by observers