Step 1: Recall the definition of stratified sampling. The population is first divided into non overlapping, homogeneous subgroups called strata, based on some characteristic (here, gender), and then a sample is drawn independently from each stratum.
Step 2: Compare this with cluster sampling. In cluster sampling, the population is divided into groups (clusters), and then some entire clusters are selected as sampling units, without necessarily sampling from every cluster. That does not match the description here, since the researcher took members from both groups.
Step 3: Compare with systematic sampling. This method arranges the population in a list and picks every \(k\)-th unit at fixed intervals, with no division into gender based groups. This also does not match.
Step 4: Compare with simple random sampling. This selects units directly from the whole population without first splitting it into subgroups, so it does not match the described procedure either.
Step 5: The researcher's procedure, split population by gender (stratum), then choose members from within each group, exactly matches the definition of stratified sampling. The correct option is (B).