Question 1

Read the following information.

A researcher wanted to investigate whether physical exercise affected the mental well-being of firefighters.
He used stratified sampling to select 10 participants from a local fire department. He asked each participant to keep a diary for one month. Participants were asked to record the amount of exercise they completed each day. They were also asked to record a daily mental well-being score using the scale shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Mental well-being rating scale
(Table shows a Likert-type scale for statements like 'I have felt confident', 'I have felt relaxed', etc., scored from 5 'All of the time' to 1 'None of the time'.)

Outline one strength of using a stratified sample when conducting research.

Accepted Answer

First, recall the definition of stratified sampling (dividing the population into sub-groups and sampling proportionally from each). Then, think about why a researcher would go to the trouble of doing this. The main goal is to create a sample that accurately reflects the population. Explain this benefit.

Question 2

What mistakes do candidates make on this AQA GCSE question?

Accepted Answer

Confusing stratified sampling with other types like random or systematic sampling. Stating the strength without explaining it.

How to approach this question

Full Answer

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