Which data collections show bias? Check all that apply. 1) An English teacher polls the top-ten most avid readers to find their favorite books. 2) An insurance company polls drivers of sports cars to find their average number of tickets. 3.) A restaurant manager surveys every tenth customer for one week. 4.) An assistant principal surveys each student who is sent for discipline. 5.) A fundraiser organizer draws five names from a hat that contains all entries.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answers are:
1), 2), and 4)
Explanation
When evaluating bias in data collection, it’s important to consider whether the sample is representative of the larger population. Bias occurs when the method of collecting data favors certain outcomes or groups, which can lead to misleading conclusions.
Option 1: An English teacher polls the top-ten most avid readers to find their favorite books.
This is biased. The teacher only surveys the top-ten most avid readers, who are likely to prefer complex or specific genres. Their preferences may not reflect those of the average or reluctant reader. Therefore, the sample is not representative of all students.
Option 2: An insurance company polls drivers of sports cars to find their average number of tickets.
This is also biased. Drivers of sports cars may receive more speeding tickets than the general population of drivers due to stereotypes or actual behavior. Polling only this group skews the results and does not represent all drivers.
Option 3: A restaurant manager surveys every tenth customer for one week.
This is not biased. Every tenth customer is a systematic and fair sampling method. It includes a wide variety of customers and does not favor any particular group, making it a relatively unbiased method.
Option 4: An assistant principal surveys each student who is sent for discipline.
This is biased. Students who are sent for discipline are not representative of the entire student body. Their opinions, behaviors, or experiences may differ significantly, especially on topics like school rules or teacher fairness.
Option 5: A fundraiser organizer draws five names from a hat that contains all entries.
This is not biased. It’s a random selection process, giving each entry an equal chance of being chosen, which ensures fairness and eliminates bias.
In summary, biased methods (1, 2, and 4) focus on specific subgroups that do not reflect the entire population, leading to skewed results.
