Selection of participants

Question 1

In any study the group of individuals a researcher is interested in is called what?

Answer 1

The target population

Question 2

The researcher wants to do what about the target population?

Answer 2

The researcher wants to make a statement about the target population

Question 3

What is a sampling frame?

Answer 3

The researcher obviously cannot study all the people in the target population so instead the researcher starts by identifying a smaller group so draws a sample that will be representative of the target population

Question 4

Why does the researcher used a sample?

Answer 4

So that generalisations can be made about the target population

Question 5

In order to select a representative example psychologists have a range of sampling techniques, what are they?

Answer 5

Opportunity sample
volunteer sample,
random sample,
systematic sample
snowball sample
sratified sample
quota sample

Question 6

What is an opportunity sample?

Answer 6

Selecting people who are most easily available at the time of the study

Question 7

What is a volunteer sample?

Answer 7

Produced by asking for volunteers - The volunteers select themselves

Question 8

What is a random sample?

Answer 8

Every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected

Question 9

What is a Systematic sample?

Answer 9

Selecting every nth person for example every fifth or 10th

Question 10

What is a snowball sample?

Answer 10

Relies on referrals from initial participants to generate additional participants

Question 11

What is a stratified sample?

Answer 11

Participants are selected according to their frequency in the population

Question 12

What is a quota sample

Answer 12

It is the same as a stratified example that is participants are selected according to their frequency in the population

Question 13

What are the advantages opportunity sample?

Answer 13

It is the easiest method because you just use the first participant you can find which means it’s quicker than other methods

Question 14

What are the disadvantages of the opportunity sample

Answer 14

It is inevitably biased because the sample is drawn from a part of the target population. For example asking people in the street on a Monday morning is like to exclude professional people because they were at work

Question 15

What are the disadvantages of the sample opportunity

Answer 15

Sample is biased because participants are likely to be keener and therefore more helpful most would-be or just more inquisitive this results in a volunteer bias

Question 16

What are the advantages of a random sample

Answer 16

This is potentially biased because all members of the target population have an equal chance of selection

Question 17

What are the disadvantages of a random sample

Answer 17

This form of sampling takes more time and effort than other methods because you need to obtain a list of all the members of your target population

Question 18

The advantages of a systematic sample

Answer 18

Unbiased as participants are selected using an objective system

Question 19

What are the disadvantages of a systematic sample

Answer 19

Not truly unbiased/ random unless you select a number using a random method start with this person and select every person

Question 20

What are the advantages of snowball sampling?

Answer 20

Enables a researcher to locate groups of people who are difficult to access

Question 21

What are the disadvantages of snowball sampling

Answer 21

The sample is not likely to be a good cross-section from the population because it is friends of friends

Question 22

What is the advantage of a stratified full quota sample?

Answer 22

Likely to be more representative than other sampling techniques because there is equal representation of subgroups

Question 23

What is the disadvantage of stratified or quota sample

Answer 23

Although the sample represents subgroups each project may be biased in other ways