Final answer:
Sample bias in an online poll about work uniforms can occur if the poll's audience self-selects to respond or if the sample does not represent the entire population due to targeted sampling methods, such as only sampling attendees at a specific event or members of a certain industry.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sample bias is likely to be present in an online poll about wearing a uniform to work due to several factors. Notably, internet surveys can suffer from sample bias because people self-select to respond. Furthermore, online polls may not prevent individuals with multiple email accounts or social media profiles from responding multiple times, nor can they always ensure accurate representation of demographics.
Selection bias can occur if the methods by which respondents are contacted influence the demographics of the sample. Also, if the survey's audience is limited to a specific sector such as the technology industry or visitors of a convention, it's possible that it will not accurately reflect the opinions of individuals in other industries or demographics. The key to a representative sample is that each member of the population should have an equally likely chance of being chosen.
One example of a potentially biased sample would be a poll conducted at an event like the Smithsonian Institute's road show, as it may not represent all demographic and ethnic groups equally. In a similar vein, an online poll about work uniforms may inadvertently exclude certain groups or fail to capture a representative slice of the population if it only reaches a specific audience, like tech workers or those who are internet-savvy.