Dr. Elena Vance conducted an investigation into whether the presence of a mobile phone on a desk affects a person's perceived level of distraction during a logical reasoning task. Elena used a volunteer sampling technique, recruiting participants by posting an advertisement on a local community social media page.
Participants who responded to the advertisement completed an online logical reasoning test. Half of the participants were instructed to place their phone face-up on the desk next to them (Condition A), while the other half were instructed to leave their phone in a different room (Condition B). After completing the task, participants rated their perceived level of distraction on a scale from 1 (not at all distracted) to 10 (highly distracted).
Explain one strength and one weakness of the sampling technique used by Elena for her investigation into smartphone distraction.
Practise Edexcel A Level Psychology Methods with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 638 questions, 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.