Question

For each of the following sampling situations, identify the population as exactly as possible. That is, say what kind of individuals the population consists of and say exactly which individuals fall in the population. If the information given is not complete, complete the description of the population in a reasonable way.
a. A college has changed its core curriculum and wants to obtain detailed feedback information from the students during each of the first 12 weeks of the coming semester. Each week, a random sample of 5 students will be selected to be interviewed.
b. The American Community Survey (ACS) will replace the census "long form" starting with the 2010 census. The main part of the ACS contacts 250,000 addresses by mail each month, with follow-up by phone and in person if there is no response. Each household answers questions about their housing, economic, and social status.

c. An opinion poll contacts 1161 adults and asks them, "Which political party do you think has better ideas for leading the country in the twenty-first century?"

Answer 1

Here are the options that complete the questions;

For question 1. (a):

A) The population is all current students.

B) The population is students in the college during the first 12 weeks of the coming semester.

C) The population is the 60 students selected during the first 12 weeks of the coming semester.

D) The population is students in the coming semester.

For question 2. (b):

A) The population is 250,000 households.

B) The population is all U.S. households.

C) The population is all households that are being contacted by the ACS.

D) The population is U.S. households in 2010.

For question 3. (c):

A) The population is 1161 U.S. adults that supply information.

B) The population is all adult residents of the U.S.

C) The population is political parties.

D) None of the above.

Answer:

For question 1. (a) = B) The population is students in the college during the first 12 weeks of the coming semester.

For question 2. (b): = D) The population is U.S. households in 2010.

For question 3. (c): = B) The population is all adult residents of the U.S.

Explanation:

a) We can conclude that the research population would consist of students in the college during the first 12 weeks of the coming semester because students that failed to register for the 12 weeks of the coming semester are would not be counted in the random sample selection process.

b) The American Community Survey (ACS) as the name implies serves the entire American community; thus the population of the census is all U.S. households in 2010.

c) Although 1161 adults are been contacted, they do not represent the entire population, but just a sample out of all adult residents of the U.S.