Question

Boy Scout Peter M. wants to know the proportion of people in his neighborhood who support the Boy Scouts. He takes a random sample of 30 homes and visits them dressed in his uniform.

a. What is wrong with this survey?

Answer 1

The student's survey is potentially biased due to him wearing his uniform, which may influence the responses, as well as possible issues with random sampling and sample size, affecting the survey's accuracy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The main issue with Boy Scout Peter M.'s survey approach is the potential for bias. By visiting homes in his uniform, Peter may influence the participants' responses, as they may feel inclined to provide a more favorable answer due to his appearance as a Boy Scout.

This introduces a non-response bias and a volunteer bias, affecting the survey's reliability and validity. An accurate survey requires that the sample not be influenced by external factors such as the appearance of the person conducting the survey.

Random sampling is a critical component of survey methodology. In Peter's case, if the sample of 30 homes was not chosen using a method that gives each household an equal chance of being selected, the survey results might not represent the true sentiment of the neighborhood. Moreover, if the sample size is too small, it might not adequately capture the diversity of opinions within the neighborhood, leading to sampling error.