Final answer:
The population for Lin's question is all teenagers in the United States who use smartphones. Selection bias and the method of surveying can cause data variations, and the sample size must be large enough and representative to obtain accurate findings.
Step-by-step explanation:
The population for Lin's question regarding how many games teenagers in the United States have on their phones is all teenagers in the United States who own and use smartphones. It is implied that Lin is interested in the averages or trends among this specific age group with regard to digital game ownership.
When considering data collection, several factors can cause variations in the results. For instance, adolescents' access to different technologies, social and economic factors, and varying interests can all influence the number of games they have on their phones. Additionally, methods of surveying can affect accuracy, such as if the respondents are primarily contacted by landline or mobile phone, reflecting different demographic characteristics. The trend towards mobile phone usage as opposed to landlines, selection bias, and the changing communication preferences of younger generations all emphasize the need for researchers to employ diverse methods in collecting data to ensure representativeness of the surveyed population. Moreover, the sample size and how well it represents the overall population is critical in obtaining reliable results.
The sufficiency of the sample size depends on the population being studied. If the sample consists solely of students from one school, it may not be representative of the wider population of teenagers in the United States. However, when the population is as large and diverse as school-aged children and young adults across the entire United States, a much larger and varied sample would be needed to appropriately reflect the population and offer meaningful conclusions.