Identify and explain a source of bias in the study described. Then suggest how the bias might have been avoided.
-A popular magazine ran a survey about a web site that provides driving directions. Readers could register their Responses on the magazine's web site.
A)The magazine is biased in favor of the web site because it receives funding from the company. An independent pollster should be hired to run the survey.
B)Because the respondents are self-selected, they are likely to represent those who have strong feelings about the issue. A better sampling method such as the simple random sampling used by most polling
Companies is needed.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The survey suffers from self-selection bias because only those readers who feel strongly about the web site, either positively or negatively, are likely to participate. This can skew the results and not accurately represent the general opinion of all readers. To avoid this bias, a more representative sampling method, like simple random sampling, should be used to ensure that all segments of the magazine's readership have an equal chance of being selected for the survey.

Identify and Explain a Source of Bias in the Study