Question

A high school principal decides to conduct a survey of the senior class by selecting one government class and interviewing each student in that class. Why does this method suffer from bias?

Answer 1

This method suffers from bias because only one government class is selected and only the students in that class are interviewed. The sample may not be representative of the entire senior class, as there may be differences in the characteristics of students in different government classes. For example, a government class that is predominantly composed of students who are interested in politics may have different opinions from a government class that is predominantly composed of students who are not interested in politics. Additionally, students who are absent on the day of the survey will not be included in the sample, which could introduce selection bias.

Answer 2

The method of surveying only one government class to interview each student in that class suffers from bias because it is not a representative sample of the entire senior class. The results of the survey will only reflect the opinions and experiences of the students in that particular government class, and may not be generalizable to the entire senior class. Additionally, there may be differences in the characteristics or experiences of students in different government classes that could influence their responses to the survey questions. To obtain a more representative sample of the senior class, the principal should consider using a random sampling method that includes students from multiple classes and backgrounds.