Which statement accurately summarizes the way psychologists gather research participants?
A)Psychologists usually use random samples of the population.
B)Psychologists typically use volunteers,often drawn from a college population.
C)Psychologists typically select participants at random from the phone book.
D)Psychologists only select participants who outwardly appear to be of average intelligence.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Psychologists often use convenience samples, which involve recruiting participants who are readily available and willing to participate. College students are often used as they are easily accessible and have less scheduling conflicts. However, psychologists may also use other methods, such as random samples or targeted samples from a certain population (e.g. individuals with a certain medical condition). Option A is incorrect because random samples are not always feasible or practical. Option C is incorrect because randomly selecting participants from the phone book would not necessarily produce a representative sample. Option D is incorrect because selecting participants based on outward appearance would be discriminatory and not scientifically valid.

Which Statement Accurately Summarizes the Way Psychologists Gather Research Participants