when the sample or samplingvtechnique is biased towards
1. one gender.
2. a certain target population.
3. age-range.
4. culture (ethnocentrism).
5. soical class.
6. income.
7. race.
8. sample size.
1. easier for the researchers to recruit participants.
2. this can save time for the researchers which may mean more participants can be recruited.
3. researchers can focus on.
1. the sample is unrepresentative and therefore cannot be generalised to the wider population.
2. the rsearch may be valued less in the real world if the sample is limited.
3. low population validity which means the samlpe isn't measuring enough of the population to be measuring what it intends to.
1. random.
2. snowball.
3. oppitiy.
4. self-selected.
when the target population has an equal change of being chosen for example names out of a hat.
1. unbiased.
1. time consuming to make a list of all potential participants epecially if you want a large sample.
2. some participants may be less willing/not want to particpate - then need to find more.
asking participants to nominate anohter person for example give a questionnaire to a friend.
1. can find people with rare charactertics/traties.
1. can be time consuming.
2. sample might be biased - all similar people.
selecting people that are readily available at the time for example going up to people in a supoermarket
1. quick.
2. cheap.
3. convenient.
1. usually biased - may choose people that look 'helpful' or friendly.
2. unrepresentative (only people who happen to be in that place at that time).
when participants select themsevles to participate. usually through an advert. also known as self-selecting sampling.
1. participants are willing - may be less likely to drop out.
1. time cosuming waiting for participants.
2. may have an unreprsentative sample.
1. a bias when we see things from the point of view of ourselves and out social group - a cultural bias.
2. evaluating other groups of people using the standards and customs of one's own culture.