Final answer:
The question pertains to the proportion of US adults who own a cell phone, based on a 2014 survey. It involves statistical methods such as calculating confidence intervals to estimate the true proportion of the population with certain characteristics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question revolves around statistics, which is a branch of mathematics used to analyze data collected from surveys or experiments. The question involves a survey conducted in 2014 where out of 1006 US adults, 90% claimed to own a cell phone. To interpret such data, statisticians use various methods, including the calculation of confidence intervals, which provide an estimate of the true proportion of a population with a certain attribute within a specific level of certainty, typically 95%.
For instance, a hypothetical scenario to estimate the percentage of adults with cell phones might involve surveying a sample of the population. If 500 adults are surveyed and 421 respond that they have cell phones, a confidence interval can be calculated to provide an estimated range in which the true proportion of cell phone ownership lies, with a 95% level of confidence. Understanding these statistics is essential for recognizing how prevalent cell phone usage is and its implications on society, including its impact on social behaviors and access to online services among different demographic groups.