Dr Evelyn Vance conducted an investigation into the effectiveness of a new biofeedback breathing pacing device designed to reduce anxiety and withdrawal symptoms in individuals undergoing tobacco smoking cessation.
She recruited her sample by approaching office workers who happened to be taking smoke breaks in the designated outdoor courtyard of a major corporate headquarters on a Friday morning.
She compared two groups of participants:
Dr Vance then asked all participants to rate their overall anxiety and withdrawal symptoms over a 48-hour period. A score of 20 represented 'extremely high anxiety and withdrawal' and a score of 0 represented 'no symptoms at all'.
Explain one strength and one limitation of the sampling technique used by Dr Vance in this study.
Practise Edexcel A Level Psychology Research methods and skills with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 657 questions covering Research methods and skills, matched to the Edexcel A Level Psychology (9PS0) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
