Sampling Flashcards
What is random sampling?
Every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected for the study
How can random sampling be achieved?
Everyone in the target population being given a number and using random number tables or a computer to generate a random list
What are two strengths of random sampling?
It avoids bias and it creates a more representative sample than opportunity sampling
What are two limitations of random sampling?
It can be expensive and time consuming and it lack generalisation as it doesn’t access all members of the population
What is volunteer sampling?
Psychologists advertise for people to take part in studies. The participants themselves choose if the want to be part of the experiment
What is two strengths of volunteer sampling?
It is easy as its a good way of gaining a large sample and it uses participants who are willing to take part
What is a limitation of volunteer sampling?
It is biased because the sample is self-selected
What is opportunity sampling?
It involves using people who are readily available such as friends and relatives or people who are present in a certain location
What are two strengths of opportunity sampling?
It is quick and easy to obtain participants and it takes less time
What is a limitation of opportunity sampling?
It may not be representative as it is only selecting people from a certain place and time
What is stratified sampling?
A small scale reproduction of a population. It involves dividing a population into characteristics then the population is randomly sampled within each category
What are two strengths of stratified sampling?
It’s representative and unbiased
What’s two limitations of stratified sampling?
Knowledge of the population is required and it is time consuming
What is systematic sampling?
It involves taking every nth participant from a list to create a sample. It involves calculating the size of the population and working out the sampling interview
What are two strengths of systematic sampling?
It has an unbiased selection and it can be generalised easily
