Final answer:
When determining which choice is a better guide to what all people think, it is important to consider the principles of statistics. In this case, the random sample of 1000 persons is a better guide to what all people think because it represents the population as a whole. Phone-in polls may suffer from selection bias and may not accurately represent the entire population.
Step-by-step explanation:
The national survey found that 48% of TV network news viewers preferred to believe a phone-in poll of 300,000 persons over a random sample poll of 1000 persons. Additionally, 42% of the viewers said they would choose the random sample poll. When determining which choice is a better guide to what all people think, it is important to consider the principles of statistics.
In this case, the random sample of 1000 persons is a better guide to what all people think. This is because random samples represent the population as a whole and provide accurate estimates of public opinion. A random sample ensures that everyone in the population has an equal chance of being chosen, allowing researchers to make generalizations about the larger population. On the other hand, a phone-in poll may suffer from selection bias and may not accurately represent the entire population.
Therefore, when seeking to gauge the opinions of the entire population, it is best to rely on a random sample poll as it provides a more reliable estimate.