A researcher wants to put together four focus groups of 18-24 year-old males who are "heavy downloaders of music" (defined as downloading 50 songs per month). He finds one person in the target market who qualifies and then asks that person to suggest the names of two other males between the ages of 18-24 who download music so that he can invite them to participate in the focus group. These people, in turn, are each asked to suggest two others similar to themselves to participate in the focus group study. This procedure represents what type of sampling procedure?
A) stepwise sample
B) judgment sample
C) area sample
D) snowball sample

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This procedure represents a snowball sampling technique, also known as referral sampling. The researcher starts with one participant and asks them to refer others who fit the criteria. This method is useful when the target population is difficult to reach or identify, such as in this case where heavy downloaders of music within a specific age range may not be easily identifiable through traditional sampling methods.

A Researcher Wants to Put Together Four Focus Groups of 18-24