Final answer:
The selection of a smaller group from a larger population for study purposes is known as sampling. Sampling is a critical step in experimental design, allowing researchers to study a manageable and representative subset of a population to draw conclusions that are generalizable to the whole.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of selecting a smaller group for observation in a study is called sampling. Sampling involves choosing a subset of individuals from a larger population to participate in a study. This sample is intended to represent the larger group, making the findings generalizable to the entire population. In experimentation, sample groups participate in controlled scenarios to examine cause-and-effect relationships between variables. The experiment's design includes a comparison between an experimental group, receiving the treatment or variable being tested, and a control group, which does not.
Such a design helps to determine whether any differences observed in the outcomes are due to the treatment itself or simply due to chance. In the provided psychology example, the population is all college students, the sample is the 100 students chosen for the study, and the experimental units are the individual college students who took part. Proper sampling techniques are crucial to avoid experimenter bias and to ensure that the conclusions drawn from the study are accurate representations of the larger population.