One of the main reasons researchers use random selection is to attempt to get a

Question

One of the main reasons researchers use random selection is to attempt to get a representative sample of the population for their study. Nevertheless, the sample is usually selected from a region where the researcher lives and works. In the United States, there are varied regions; for example, we go to school in the Northeast and our culture/population may differ from individuals living in the South. Similarly, urban vs. suburban vs. rural populations may differ in significant ways. If a psychologist is conducting research in a particular region, how may some of these differences mentioned (or any others you can think of) impact the study's results? What measures could the psychologist take to minimize this impact?

Explanation / Answer

Random selection, in a social research or other forms of research has been adopted frequently in order to create a study that can be generalized and has better reliability. In random selection the target groups or people are selected randomly according to a random sequences or alphabet or etc, so as to give every potential population an equal chance to be in the research study.

While a researcher may be geographically restricted, there can be a number of issues that might arise, even though his method of sampling would be randomization. The basic issue will be the impact on the results of the study. For instance if the researcher is located in an area with a specific Asian American community or Arab Americans, who might have been resident since past 2 generations and belonging to the urban area and within a higher income band, the study might reflect an attitude or representation of only those who are from a more socially higher strata and are immigrants of other countries. It fails to represent the attitudes and representation of those that are original natives, from different social class, etc. The result might provide very skewed or bias data, resulting in it being restricted to a certain group and need for further study with different populations.

The results not only skew but they might also promote a certain bias or ideas which might not be true to other populations. It might as well result in disharmony and inconclusive data.

In order to minimize the effects of such a situation, there are multiple ways to counter the same. One of the most important way but also one which is time-consuming as well as costly is trying to survey the population in the area to generate ideas about the differences and representativeness of the population in question. This will help understand if there is certain over or under representation. The researcher can then reframe the ideas or try and conclude the results in a more population specific way. Secondly, the researcher can seek assistants or researchers from different locations, collaborate with them and simultaneously conduct the study so as to generate the best possible quality of data which is more representative. However this method can be costly and non reliable, if there is differences in the method of data collection or other researcher based factors. Third alternative can be a less time consuming and more efficient method with less cost liabilities, which is using the social media, websites and internet for generating a rich source of data and then sending out the surveys or question relating to the study, so as to reach a wider population and one which is the most representative of the population. The same can be done through emails, phone calls, etc.

The awareness of the shortcomings and implications of the study is very essential and should be well accounted as well as made provisions for by the researcher. This helps in generating a rich source of literature for further reflections and aiding in further studies of similar kinds.

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