Final answer:
A sample in statistics refers to a subset of a population selected to study and represent the entire population's characteristics. A statistic derived from the sample is used to estimate the corresponding population parameter, and random sampling techniques help achieve representative samples.
Step-by-step explanation:
The definition of a sample according to statistics is a subset of a population used to represent the entire population. When researchers conduct a study, they select a sample from the population, which consists of all individuals, objects, or measurements of interest. The purpose of a sample is to study its statistic (a numerical characteristic of the sample) and generalize findings to make inferences about the population parameter (a numerical characteristic of the whole population).
Surveys, one of the data collection methods, often use a random sample to reduce sampling bias. This is a subset of the population where each member has an equal chance of being selected, ensuring that the sample is representative. From the sample data, we can calculate statistics like mean, median, and mode, and these measures help in the analysis and understanding of data.