AP PSYCHOLOGY

RESEARCH METHODS THINKING CRITICALLY WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND DESCRIPTION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Which of the following means the sample is more representative of the target population?
A
It has more women than the target population
B
It is a very small sample
C
It is conducted at a specific place or time
D
It is a large and randomly selected sample
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -A random sample is meant to be an unbiased representation of the larger population. It is considered a fair way to select a sample from a larger population (since every member of the population has an equal chance of getting selected).

Detailed explanation-2: -Probability samples are selected in such a way as to be representative of the population. They provide the most valid or credible results because they reflect the characteristics of the population from which they are selected.

Detailed explanation-3: -Random samples are the best method of selecting your sample from the population of interest. The advantages are that your sample should represent the target population and eliminate sampling bias. The disadvantage is that it is very difficult to achieve (i.e. time, effort and money).

Detailed explanation-4: -In order to be a representative sample, the sample group must represent the population as a whole. For instance, if the researcher’s population of interest has 60% of people ages 18-25 and 40% of people ages 26-40, then the representative sample must also reflect this ratio.

Detailed explanation-5: -The sheer size of a sample does not guarantee its ability to accurately represent a target population. Large unrepresentative samples can perform as badly as small unrepresentative samples.

There is 1 question to complete.