Sampling

Question 1

What is a target population?

Answer 1

The group that the study applies to

Question 2

What is a sampling frame?

Answer 2

The source of the sample - a list that people are chosen from

Question 3

What is a sample?

Answer 3

Those who are studied

Question 4

What does representative mean?

Answer 4

Fairly reflecting a population in terms of social characteristics

e.g. class, age, gender

Question 5

What is a sampling unit?

Answer 5

An individual or indivisible group

Question 6

What are the three types of random sampling?

Answer 6

Simple

Systematic

Stratified

Question 7

What is simple random sampling?

Answer 7

Complete random selection of units

Usually done by a computer

Question 8

What is systematic random sampling?

Answer 8

Picking one unit then every Nth unit thereafter

Question 9

What is stratified random sampling?

Answer 9

Dividing a population according to social characteristic and picking randomly from these sub-groups

Question 10

What are the five types of non-probability sampling?

Answer 10

Quota

Snowball

Purposive

Volunteer

Opportunity

Question 11

What is quota sampling?

Answer 11

A sociologist personally choosing people from the social characteristic groups

Question 12

What are the advantages and disadvantages of quota sampling?

Answer 12

A - sociologist has control

D - may lead to biased results

Question 13

What is snowball sampling?

Answer 13

Finding one unit and asking if they know anyone else who would take part

Question 14

What are the advantages and disadvantages of snowball sampling?

Answer 14

A - helpful if the target population is hard to access

D - may attract very similar people

Question 15

What is purposive sampling?

Answer 15

A sociologist seeking the type of person they want to study

Question 16

What is an example of purposive sampling?

Answer 16

Hodkinson looking to study goths

Question 17

What is volunteer sampling?

Answer 17

A self-selecting sample

Question 18

What are the advantages and disadvantages of volunteer samples?

Answer 18

A - easy to collect sample

D - may attract the same type of people

Question 19

What is an example of volunteer sampling?

Answer 19

Hite’s survey on happiness in relationships mainly attracted unhappy women

Question 20

What is opportunity sampling?

Answer 20

Collecting a sample from the people around the sociologist

Question 21

What is an issue with opportunity sampling?

Answer 21

May lead to similar people taking part

Question 22

Why is stratified random sampling the most representative?

Answer 22

Takes into account the proportion of a population which fits certain characteristics

Question 23

Why do some sociologists choose non-random sampling?

Answer 23

To have control over the sample group

Question 24

Which non-random sampling techniques give the sociologist the most control?

Answer 24

Quota or purposive

Question 25

What are the advantages of simple and systematic random sampling?

Answer 25

Statistically likely to be representative

No bias

Easy to do

Question 26

What are the disadvantages of simple and systematic random sampling?

Answer 26

Bad frame = bad sample

May get an unrepresentative freak sample

Question 27

What are the advantages and disadvantages of stratified random sampling?

Answer 27

Representative

Less likely to be a freak sample

More control

But, more complex as info is needed before sampling