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Ch. 1 - Introduction to Statistics
Triola - Elementary Statistics 14th Edition
Triola14th EditionElementary StatisticsISBN: 9780137366446Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksTriola 14th EditionCh. 1 - Introduction to StatisticsProblem 1.RE.2a
Chapter 1, Problem 1.RE.2a

Paying for First Dates USA Today posted this question on the electronic version of its newspaper: “Should guys pay for the first date?” Of the 1148 subjects who decided to respond, 85% of them said “yes.”


a. What is wrong with this survey?

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Identify the type of survey conducted: This survey is based on voluntary responses from individuals who chose to participate, which is known as a voluntary response sample.
Understand the implications of a voluntary response sample: Such samples often lead to bias because they tend to attract individuals who have strong opinions on the subject, which may not represent the general population.
Consider the potential for non-response bias: Since only those who are interested in the topic are likely to respond, the results may not accurately reflect the views of those who did not participate.
Evaluate the representativeness of the sample: The sample consists of 1148 subjects who responded to an online question, but it does not ensure that these respondents are representative of the broader population in terms of demographics or opinions.
Conclude the main issue with the survey: The primary problem with this survey is the lack of random sampling, which results in a sample that is not representative of the entire population, leading to biased results.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Sampling Bias

Sampling bias occurs when the sample collected is not representative of the population intended to be analyzed. In this survey, the respondents are self-selected, meaning only those who chose to participate are included, which can lead to biased results as it may not reflect the views of the entire population.
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Sampling Distribution of Sample Proportion

Voluntary Response Bias

Voluntary response bias is a type of bias that occurs when individuals voluntarily choose to participate in a survey. This often results in a sample that over-represents individuals with strong opinions, as those who feel strongly about the topic are more likely to respond, skewing the results.
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Parameters vs. Statistics

Non-Probability Sampling

Non-probability sampling refers to sampling techniques where not all members of the population have a chance of being selected. In this survey, the use of an online platform where participants self-select leads to non-probability sampling, which limits the ability to generalize findings to the broader population.
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Sampling Distribution of Sample Proportion
Related Practice
Textbook Question

Paying for First Dates USA Today posted this question on the electronic version of its newspaper: “Should guys pay for the first date?” Of the 1148 subjects who decided to respond, 85% of them said “yes.”


b. Is the value of 85% a statistic or a parameter?

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Textbook Question

State Populations Currently, California has the largest population with 39,776,830 residents, and Wyoming has the smallest population with 573,520 residents.


e. If we randomly select two states and survey all of their adult residents, what type of sample is obtained? (random, systematic, convenience, stratified, cluster)

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Textbook Question

Divorces and Margarine One study showed that there is a very high correlation between the divorce rate in Maine and per capita consumption of margarine in the United States. Can we conclude that either one of those two variables is the cause of the other?

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Textbook Question

Reported Versus Measured In a survey of 1046 adults conducted by Bradley Corporation, subjects were asked how often they wash their hands when using a public restroom, and 70% of the respondents said “always.”


a) Identify the sample and the population.

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Textbook Question

State Populations Currently, California has the largest population with 39,776,830 residents, and Wyoming has the smallest population with 573,520 residents.


d. If we randomly select 50 full-time workers in each of the 50 states, what type of sample is obtained? (random, systematic, convenience, stratified, cluster)

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Textbook Question

Sampling For each of the following, identify the term that best describes the type of sample: systematic, convenience, stratified, cluster, or simple random sample.


b. To test for a gender difference in the way that men and women make online purchases, Gallup surveys 500 randomly selected men and 500 randomly selected women.

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