Convenience samples and generalizability
A researcher studying exercise habits recruits participants through flyers posted in a single gym. Which best describes the sample and its main limitation?
Answer C: explanation for every choice
A
Recruiting at one gym is not random sampling.
B
Stratified sampling draws randomly from defined subgroups, which did not happen here.
C
Correct. Gym-goers who respond to flyers are unlikely to represent the general population, which threatens external validity.
D
Sampling method affects who is studied, not how consistently a measure performs.
TakeawayConvenience samples are easy to get but threaten generalizability.
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Reviewed 2026-11-05 by a medical student. Spot an error? Report it with question ID ps144.