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Matching is a method used by researchers to gain accurate and precise results of a study so that they may be applicable to a larger population. After a population has been examined and a sample has been chosen, a researcher must then consider variables, or extrinsic factors, that might affect the study. Matching methods apply when researchers are aware of extrinsic variables before conducting a study. Two methods used to match groups are:

• Precision Matching
• Frequency Distribution

Although, in theory, matching tends to produce valid conclusions, a rather obvious difficulty arises in finding subjects which are compatible. Researchers may even believe that experimental and control groups are identical when, in fact, a number of variables have been overlooked. For these reasons, researchers tend to reject matching methods in favor of random sampling.