Based on the case context, explain how Dr. Sanchez's participant selection method exemplifies convenience sampling, and describe why this choice limits the conclusions he can draw about the general public.
Case context: Dr. Sanchez is investigating the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance. Due to time constraints, he decides to recruit participants exclusively from the introductory psychology student pool at his university because they are physically nearby in the psychology building and readily willing to participate.
Question: Based on the case context, explain how Dr. Sanchez's participant selection method exemplifies convenience sampling, and describe why this choice limits the conclusions he can draw about the general public.
Sample answer: Dr. Sanchez's method represents convenience sampling because he is forming his sample entirely from introductory psychology students who are physically nearby and readily willing to participate. This choice limits his conclusions because these specific students may not accurately represent the broader general population, making it problematic to generalize his findings about sleep deprivation and cognitive performance to the general public.
Key points:
- Identifies Dr. Sanchez's method as convenience sampling because it relies on nearby and willing introductory psychology students.
- Explains that convenience sampling involves selecting individuals who are readily available.
- Recognizes that introductory psychology students might not represent the broader population.
- Explains that this makes it problematic to generalize the research findings to the general public.
Rubric: The answer should explain: 1) that recruiting nearby and willing introductory psychology students matches the definition of convenience sampling, and 2) that the findings cannot be generalized to the broader population because the students may not be representative.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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