Consumer Behavior Research Methods

Definitions

Target Population - Drawing a Sample (Definition, Factors influencing the representativeness of a sample)

  • Most of the time, the objective of a research project is to obtain information about the characteristics or parameters of a population!

  • If you cannot examine the entire target population, then you need a sample:

     A sample is “a smaller (but hopefully representative) collection of units from a population used to determine truths about that population” (Field, 2005)

  • Four factors influencing a sample ́s representativeness:

    1. Are the units of your sample drawn from the target 
        population?
    2. Sampling procedure
    3. Sample size
    4. Participation (do and how do people respond?)

Diskussion