Question

A popular fitness magazine published a survey in a recent edition asking about eating habits. Based on the results of the survey, they subsequently published an article about how most people have finally wised up with how to eat healthily. This result shows:

a) Sampling bias
b) Researcher bias
c) Demand characteristics
d) Participant bias

Answer 1

The question depicts a potential sampling bias, as a fitness magazine's survey about eating habits might not represent the full target population due to the pre-selection of its health-conscious readership.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario described in the student's question suggests a potential issue with sampling bias. This type of bias occurs when the method of selecting participants for a study or survey does not accurately represent the entire target population.

For example, a fitness magazine survey about eating habits may only reach its readers who are already interested in fitness, possibly leading to skewed results about healthy eating habits. It should be noted that all members of the population should have an equally likely chance of being chosen to prevent such bias. Critical evaluation of survey results is crucial to determine the likelihood of biases such as sampling bias, response bias, selection bias, and more.