Research Methods Flashcards
What is a target population?
The group of people whose behaviour we are interested in
What is the difference between sample and sampling?
Sample : The people being studied
Sampling : The technique used to obtain a sample
What is random sampling?
when every member of the target population has an equal chance of being chosen eg picking names out of a hat
Give strengths and weaknesses of random sampling
- Unbiased
- no guarantee of representation
- Time consuming
- Those selected may not wish to take part
What is opportunity sampling?
When the researcher selects people who are readily available at the time of the study eg approaching people and asking if they would like to participate
Give strengths and weaknesses of opportunity sampling
- Quick
- Cheap
- Likely to recruite a bias sample if all participants are from the same place
What is volunteer sampling?
When participants volunteer themselves to participate in research.
Can be done by advertising in newspapers or online etc.
Give strengths and weaknesses of volunteer sampling
- Participants are willing to take part which may make them more honest and less likely to withdraw
- Time consuming
- Biased as certain people may be more likely to respond
What is snowball sampling?
When a participant recruits other members of the target population
Give a strength and weakness of snowball sampling
- Useful for reaching niche populations
- Biased as participants are likely to recruit people like themselves
Define the term ‘representative’
The characteristics of the target population should be reflected in the sample, if a sample is representative it allows us to generalise our findings to the target population
Name 3 types of bias that may effect how representative a sample is
- Age bias
- Culture bias (ethnocentric)
- Gender bias
