KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Do Now

Define: internal validity and external validity in your own words.

Think of 1 strength and 1 limitation of lab studies and field studies.

Bonus: Think of a strength and limitation of natural and quasi experiments.

KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Answers

Internal validity= if the IV (and no other variables) caused the effect of the DV. This
means you can establish cause and effect (causality)

External validity= if the results of the study can be generalised (to other settings,
people, places)
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

True or False (4 Qs)- thumb up or down

1. A strength of lab experiments is that they have mundane realism.

2. A limitation of natural experiments is that they lack external validity (ecological
validity).
3. A limitation of quasi experiments is that participants cannot be randomly assigned to
experimental conditions.
4. A limitation of field studies is that they lack internal validity.
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Population and Sample

Population- the group of people that the researcher is interested in studying

Ex: students studying at colleges in the North West, autistic children under 6 years
old, women in their thirties, etc.

May also be called the target population as these groups are subsets of the entire
population.

Sample- representative of the target population so that we can generalise our findings

Sampling techniques are used by researchers to choose this sample. Each has
strengths and limitations.
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Sampling techniques

1. Random sampling
2. Systematic sampling
3. Stratified sampling
4. Opportunity sampling
5. Volunteer sampling
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Random Sampling

- All members of the target population have an equal chance of being

selected
- First step is to obtain a list of every member of the target population, then
assign everyone a number, then the actual sample is selected with a
lottery method (i.e. picking names out of a hat or a random computer
generator)
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Systematic Sampling

- Every nth member of the target population is selected (ex: every 5th
house on a street or 2nd student on the register list)
- Sampling frame is produced which lists all members of the target
population, perhaps alphabetically, and then an interval is set
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Stratified Sampling

- The people in the sample are representative of the proportions of certain

subgroups (strata) of people in the target population
- First identify the different strata in the population, then the proportions
are needed, then participants in each strata are randomly selected.
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Opportunity and Volunteer Sampling

Opportunity
- Selecting anyone people who are willing and available nearby the
researcher (ex: asking people on the street)

Volunteer
- Placing an advertisement somewhere and asking for people to “self-select”
and ask for willing people to get in contact
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Partner activity:

Extension: Think of another example of

each sampling technique.
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Whiteboard Check: (4 Qs)

Which sampling technique does this describe?

1. All members of a target population have an equal chance of being selected

a. Random
2. Self-selection occurs
a. Volunteer
3. Every 7th person on the register is selected
a. Systematic
4. The sample is representative of the target population
a. Stratified
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Evaluating Sampling Techniques

(Note: a limitation for all of the techniques except volunteer is that people may
refuse to take part in the experiment)
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Random Sampling

Pros:

- Potentially unbiased
- confounding/ extraneous variables are split between the groups so are essentially
balanced

Cons

- Time consuming
- Complete list of target population may be difficult to obtain
- May still end up with unrepresentative sample
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Systematic Sampling

Pros:

- Objective (just like random sampling)

Cons

- Time consuming
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Stratified Sampling

Pros:

- Representative sample (therefore generalisable)

Cons

- Stratification is not perfect (you can’t account for all the ways people are different)
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Opportunity Sampling

Pros:

- Convenient
- Less costly and less time consuming

Cons

- Very unrepresentative of target population

- Researcher bias as they may avoid certain people
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Volunteer Sampling

Pros:

- Very easy and less time consuming

- engaged participants

Cons

- Volunteer bias- asking for volunteers typically attracts a certain type of eager-to-
please and curious people
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Answer the following

questions
independently in
your booklet:
KQ: Can you define and evaluate each sampling technique?

Answer the following

questions
independently in
your booklet:
Partner Correct- Use a green pen
Partner Correct- Use a green pen
Homework:

1. Finish yesterday’s worksheet by Tuesday 28th September for 12B or Wednesday 29th
Sept for 12A.
2. Review the Knowledge Check Questions posted for this unit. We will have our first
quiz on Friday 24th of September.
3. Our first test for this unit will be on Friday 8th of October. It will only be on research
methods content; you will have a separate test for approaches with Ms Rennalls at
some point.