Psychology Chapter 2 Section 2 Notes Surveys Samples

The Survey Method In a survey, people are asked to respond to a series

Psychologists D. L. Dubois and B. J. Hirsh used the survey method to

By distributing questionnaires or by conducting interviews over the telephone or in person,

Populations and Samples When researchers conduct any type of study, they must consider what

To accurately predict an outcome, it is necessary to study a group that

Selecting Samples Psychologists and other scientists select samples scientifically to ensure that the samples

One way that scientists try to obtain a sample that represents the target

Researchers can also use a stratified sample. In a stratified sample, subgroups in

Generalizing Results Sometimes for one reason or another, researchers do not use a sample

In such cases, researchers are cautious about generalizing their findings to groups other

Volunteer Bias People who volunteer to participate in research studies often differ from people

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Psychology Chapter 2 Section 2 Notes – Survey’s, Samples, and Populations

The Survey Method In a survey, people are asked to respond to a series of questions about a particular subject.

Psychologists D. L. Dubois and B. J. Hirsh used the survey method to examine mixed-race friendships among high school students. More than 80 percent of White and African American students reported having a friend of the other race.

By distributing questionnaires or by conducting interviews over the telephone or in person, researchers can rapidly survey thousands of people. The findings of interviews and questionnaires are not necessarily completely accurate. People may not be honest, for whatever reasons, about their attitudes or behavior.

Populations and Samples When researchers conduct any type of study, they must consider what group or groups of people they wish to examine and how respondents will be selected. This is particularly true with surveys.

To accurately predict an outcome, it is necessary to study a group that represents the target population. A target population is the whole group you want to study or describe.

Selecting Samples Psychologists and other scientists select samples scientifically to ensure that the samples represent the populations they are supposed to represent.

One way that scientists try to obtain a sample that represents the target population is by using a random sample. In a random sample, individuals are selected by chance from the target population.

Researchers can also use a stratified sample. In a stratified sample, subgroups in the population are represented proportionally in the sample.

Generalizing Results Sometimes for one reason or another, researchers do not use a sample that represents an entire population. In some cases, the researchers want to know only one group within the population and have no reason to study other groups.

In such cases, researchers are cautious about generalizing their findings to groups other than those from which their samples were drawn.

Volunteer Bias People who volunteer to participate in research studies often differ from people who do not. Volunteers are usually more willing than other people to disclose personal information.