Research methods - Selecting and Using Participants Flashcards
Random sampling: advantages
- fair
- everyone has an equal chance of being selected
- likely to be representative
Random sampling: disadvantages
- doesn’t guarantee a representative sample
Opportunity sampling: advantages
- quick and practical way of getting a sample
Opportunity sampling: disadvantages
- unlikely to be representative
- can’t confidently generalise the findings of the research
Volunteer sampling: advantages
- large number of people may volunteer
- may allow more in-depth analysis
- more accurate statistical results
Volunteer sampling: disadvantages
- unlikely to be representative of the target population
Systematic sampling: advantages
- simple and effective
- more likely to be evenly sampled
Systematic sampling: disadvantages
- subgroups might be missed
- will not be representative if the pattern used for the samples coincides with a pattern in the population
Stratified sampling: advantages
- can produce a fairly representative sample
- can also be used with random and systematic sampling
Stratified sampling: disadvantages
- can take a lot of time and money
- subgroups may be missed
The Hawthorne Effect
If people are interested in something and in the attention they are getting, then they show a more positive response, and try harder at tasks
Demand Characteristics
Aspects of a task which allow the participants to form an idea about its purpose
Social Desirability Bias
People usually try to show themselves in the best possible light. In a survey, they may not be completely truthful
Researcher and Experimental Bias
Researchers’ expectations can influence how they design their study and how they behave towards their participants
Investigator Effects
If a researchers’ expectations influence how they behave towards their participants, they may respond to demand charcteristics
