Final answer:
The symbol used to denote a pointer parameter in programming languages like C and C++ is the asterisk (*).
Step-by-step explanation:
The symbol used to signify that a parameter is a pointer is option 1) * (asterisk). In programming, specifically in languages such as C and C++, the asterisk is used both to declare a pointer variable and to dereference a pointer. When declaring a pointer, the asterisk is placed before the variable name (for example, int *ptr declares a pointer named ptr to an integer type). When dereferencing, the asterisk is used to access the value at the memory address the pointer is pointing to (for example, *ptr gives the value stored in the location ptr is pointing to).