PSYB01H3 Lecture : B01 CH9.pdf
Document Summary
The methods used to select participants has implications for generalizing the research results. Recall most experiments involve sampling participants from the population of interest, which is composed of all individuals of interest to the researcher. Samples may be drawn using probability sampling or non-probability sampling, but when it is important to accurately describe the entire population you must use probability sampling. Much research, however, is interested in testing hypothesis about behaviour, so the focus is the relationships between the variable being studied and testing predictions made based on theories of behaviour. In such cases, participants may be found in the easiest way possible non-probability sampling. Nothing is wrong with this as long as you recognize that this affects your ability to generalize your results to larger populations, though it is still possible to. You also need to determine your sample size.
