3.1.4.3.3 Strengths and weaknesses of each sampling method Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 4

The 20 questions

1. Which is a strength of random sampling?

   • It needs no list of the population to work and so is simple
   • It is the cheapest and quickest method to use in most studies
   • It reduces researcher bias and gives a representative sample
   • It always matches the subgroup proportions automatically in the sample

2. Which is a weakness of random sampling?

   • It always introduces researcher bias into the sample, however carefully the study is run
   • It can be time-consuming and needs a complete list of the population
   • It can only be used with volunteers who come forward when they hear about the study
   • It makes every sample identical to every other sample drawn from the same population

3. Which is a strength of opportunity sampling?

   • It gives a sample that always represents the population
   • It guarantees that every subgroup is equally represented
   • It is quick and convenient to carry out
   • It removes the need for any ethical approval

4. Which is a weakness of opportunity sampling?

   • The sample has to include every member of the population, which is hard to arrange
   • The sample is likely to be biased towards the people who were available
   • The sample needs a complete list of the population, which is hard to find for most studies
   • The sample is always too large for the study and takes too long to analyse properly

5. Which is a strength of systematic sampling?

   • It removes all possibility of bias even with a poor list
   • It is simple and objective once the list and interval are set
   • It does not need a list of the population
   • It guarantees that every subgroup is represented in equal numbers

6. Which is a weakness of systematic sampling?

   • It always produces a sample with equal subgroups of each type
   • It is always more expensive than any other method of sampling
   • A pattern in the list may accidentally bias the sample
   • It cannot be used with a list of people from the population

7. Which is a strength of stratified sampling?

   • It produces a sample that reflects the subgroups in the population
   • It needs no information about the population, so it can be used with any group at all
   • It is the quickest method for any study, even one with many different subgroups in it
   • It is always biased towards volunteers who come forward when they hear about the study

8. Which is a weakness of stratified sampling?

   • It requires participants to volunteer, which means some subgroups may not come forward
   • It takes time to identify the subgroups and their proportions
   • It is always unrepresentative of the population, whatever subgroups the researcher chooses
   • It can only be used with a single subgroup, so it cannot be used for a mixed population

9. A researcher chooses opportunity sampling for a study. Which weakness should be considered in the write-up?

   • The sample will be too large to analyse properly, which makes the results hard to interpret
   • The sample may be biased and may not generalise well to the population
   • The sample will always match the population exactly because it is drawn by convenience
   • The sample will be impossible to recruit because people will not agree to take part at all

10. Which sampling method is most likely to be chosen when time and money are limited?

    • Systematic sampling from a complete list
    • Opportunity sampling
    • Stratified sampling
    • Random sampling from a complete list

11. Which sampling method gives the best representation if there are important subgroups in the population?

    • Random sampling with no list
    • Systematic sampling with no interval
    • Opportunity sampling
    • Stratified sampling

12. A study uses a random sample but only 10 people respond. What is the main problem?

    • The small number may reduce how representative the sample is
    • The sample is now too representative to use in the analysis
    • The study no longer has a target population to generalise to
    • The random method has automatically become biased by the low response

13. Which strength would a researcher highlight for a systematic sample of a school register?

    • It needs no register and gives an identical sample each time
    • It is objective and easy to carry out with a complete register
    • It guarantees the sample contains equal numbers of boys and girls
    • It removes any need for ethical approval

14. Which weakness is most closely linked to random sampling?

    • It may give a sample that by chance does not match the population's subgroups
    • It always produces results that are significant, so the researcher can be sure of them
    • It always selects the most willing participants, who tend to be more motivated than others
    • It always selects people who are easy to reach, so the sample is convenient to recruit

15. Which statement compares random and opportunity sampling most accurately?

    • Both methods need a complete list of the population before any participants can be selected at all
    • Random sampling is more representative but harder to carry out, while opportunity is quicker but less representative
    • Random sampling is quicker but less representative, while opportunity sampling is more representative of groups
    • Both methods are equally representative and equally quick, so the choice between them makes no difference

16. Which strength of stratified sampling would matter most in a study about school pupils across year groups?

    • It ensures every pupil has an equal chance of being the youngest
    • It ensures each year group is represented in proportion to its size
    • It ensures the sample is the quickest to recruit
    • It ensures the researcher never needs to plan the sample

17. Which weakness of opportunity sampling would most affect a study about attitudes to exercise?

    • Exercise can only be studied with a random sample drawn from a complete list of the population
    • People who exercise are always removed from the sample by the researcher before analysis begins
    • People who do not exercise are always over-represented in the sample because they are more available
    • People who exercise may be more likely to be found and willing to take part

18. A researcher says their systematic sample is free from bias. Which response is most accurate?

    • A systematic sample can still be biased if the list has a pattern linked to the interval
    • A systematic sample is always free from bias because it follows a fixed and set rule
    • A systematic sample is biased whatever the list looks like and however it is ordered
    • A systematic sample is free from bias only if it is run as opportunity sampling instead

19. Which statement about the trade-offs between sampling methods is most accurate?

    • Stratified sampling is always the best choice regardless of the study aims, the time or the budget
    • Opportunity sampling is always the best choice for a representative study of the population
    • Random sampling never has any weakness, so it is always the right choice for every research question
    • No method is perfect, so the choice depends on the balance of representativeness, time and cost

20. Which evaluation point is most appropriate for a stratified sample of 200 students by year group?

    • It is perfectly representative because it uses 200 students, which is a large enough number to trust
    • It is unrepresentative because it uses year groups, which always distorts the proportions of pupils
    • It is biased because it uses a fixed number of students, which always leads to over-sampling
    • It is representative of year groups, but it needs accurate information about the year group proportions

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