AQA Psychology - Research Methods - Sampling
A population is the large group of people that a researcher is interested in studying. It represents all the individuals who share certain characteristics relevant to the research question.
What is a population?
Large group of people that a researcher is interested in studying
Key Terms
What is a population?
Large group of people that a researcher is interested in studying
What is a sample?
The participants taking part in the experiment
What should a sample be?
Generalisable
What do we mean by generalisable sample?
Sample should be drawn to representative of the population
What are the 5 types of sampling techniques?
Opportunity sample
Volunteer sample
Random sample
Systematic sample
Stratified ...
What is opportunity sample?
-People who are most available
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
What is a population? | Large group of people that a researcher is interested in studying |
What is a sample? | The participants taking part in the experiment |
What should a sample be? | Generalisable |
What do we mean by generalisable sample? | Sample should be drawn to representative of the population |
What are the 5 types of sampling techniques? |
|
What is opportunity sample? | -People who are most available |
How to carry out an opportunity sample? | Ask people nearby |
Strengths of opportunity sample: | Convenient and quick |
Limitations of opportunity sample: | Biased = unrepresentative of target population |
What is volunteer sample? | Participants select themselves |
How to carry out a volunteer sample? | Advertisement to get the participants to volunteer |
Strengths of volunteer sample: | -Willing participants = more likely to engage |
Limitations of volunteer sample: | Biased sample = participants share similar traits (e.g keen, curious) |
What is a random sample? | Everyone in the target population has an equal chance of being chosen |
How to carry out a random sample? |
- Individuals of target population given number, randomly select i.e by random number generator |
Strengths of a random sample: | Unbiased = researcher has no influence over who is selected |
Limitations of a random sample: | Representation of population is not guaranteed |
What is a systematic sample? | Participants selected using a set pattern (sampling frame) |
How to carry out a systematic sample? | Every nth person is selected from a list of the target population |
Strengths of systematic sample: | Unbiased = objective |
Limitations of systematic sample: | Time and effort to make a complete list of population |
What is stratified sample? | Participants selected by their frequency in the target population |
How to carry out a stratified sample? | Strata are identified, relative percentage of strata represented in sample |
Strengths of stratified sample: | -Representative |
Weakness of stratified sample: | Stratification not perfect = complete representation is not possible |