SAT OwlQuestion bank / Inference from sample statistics and margin of error
A polling firm surveyed a random sample of registered voters in County R about a proposed bus line. To which of the following groups can the results of the survey most appropriately be generalized?
All registered voters in County R
All adults who live in County R
All registered voters in the state that contains County R
Only the voters who were surveyed
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
The sample was selected at random from the registered voters in County R, so the results apply to that population. Adults who aren't registered to vote and voters outside the county had no chance of being selected.
Choice B seems close, but adults in County R who aren't registered to vote weren't part of the population sampled, and their opinions may differ.
Why the other choices are wrong
- B. Adults who aren't registered to vote had no chance of being selected.
- C. Voters outside County R had no chance of being selected.
- D. A random sample can be used to draw conclusions about the population it was selected from, not just the people surveyed.
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