Suppose a recent issue of the campus newspaper reported a survey about students' attitudes toward proposed changes in the required curriculum.Which of the following would you need to focus on most to decide whether the survey results reported in the paper can be generalized to the entire population of students?
A) representativeness of the sample
B) distinctiveness of the sample
C) number of students in the sample
D) variability among students in the sample

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Representativeness of the sample is the most important factor to consider when deciding whether survey results can be generalized to the entire population. A representative sample is one that is similar in important characteristics to the population it is drawn from, which increases the likelihood that the survey results accurately reflect the views of the entire population. Therefore, the focus should be on whether the sample used in the survey is representative of the entire population of students at the campus.

Suppose a Recent Issue of the Campus Newspaper Reported a Survey