SAT Math: Sampling, Surveys, and Bias
23+ practice questions in Praczo
The concept, explained
- 1
A random sample is one where every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. Results from random samples can be generalized to the population.
- 2
Voluntary response bias: participants self-select, often producing extreme opinions (complaints or praise).
- 3
Convenience sampling: choosing the easiest group to survey, which often does not represent the whole population.
- 4
A larger random sample generally produces more reliable results than a smaller one.
- 5
The SAT asks whether results can be extended to the broader population — only if the sample was random and representative.
- ✗ Assuming any large sample is unbiased — size does not fix bias if the sampling method was flawed.
- ✗ Concluding that results from a non-random sample can be generalized to the entire population.
SAT-style practice
A company surveys 500 customers who called to complain last month and finds 80% are dissatisfied. Can the company conclude that 80% of all its customers are dissatisfied?
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