Samples and Sampling methods Flashcards
What is a Target Population?
A group of people the psychologists want to be able to GENERALISE their findings to
What is Sampling?
The process of selecting participants from the population.
What are the four methods of getting a sample?
1)Opportunity
2)Volunteer
3)Random
4)Snowball
What is Opportunity sampling?
Where you select participants who are READILY AVAILABLE to you.
Name an advantage of opportunity sampling.
It’s the easiest ,quickest and most economical way to obtain participants.
Name a disadvantage of opportunity sampling.
it can be very bias and unrepresentative
What is volunteer sampling?
Where an advert is put up and people interested would reply to the advert.
Name an advantage of volunteer sampling.
Wide range of access to potential participants
Name a disadvantage for volunteer sampling.
Bias sample
Demand characteristics
What is Random sampling?
Where every member of the target population has a equal chance of being selected out of a draw.
Name an advantage of random sampling
Least bias
equal chance of being selected
Name one weakness of random sampling.
Difficult and time consuming to do
Some may refuse to participate
What is snowball sampling?
Where a participant suggests to another person who might be willing or appropriate for the study
What type of target population might we use snowball sampling for?
Hard to get to target populations
Name an advantage of snowball sampling
No lists or identifiable clusters even exist