Question
- Carson polled the first 22 runners to finish a marathon
()) Is this sample of the runners likely to be biased?
()) Is this sample of the runners likely to be biased?
Ask by Dickson Wright. in the United States
Mar 27,2025
Upstudy AI Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
The sample is likely biased because it only includes the fastest runners, not representing all marathon finishers.
Solution
- The first step is to recognize that Carson’s sample includes only the first 22 finishers in a marathon.
- Since these runners are among the fastest, they do not represent the overall population of marathon participants.
- A biased sample occurs when certain groups within a population are overrepresented or underrepresented.
- In this case, the fastest runners are overrepresented, leading to a bias when generalizing about all finishers.
- Therefore, the sample is likely to be biased.
Answered by UpStudy AI and reviewed by a Professional Tutor
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Oh, absolutely! Polling just the first 22 finishers can create some bias because these runners are likely to be the most trained and fastest, which doesn’t represent the entire marathon population. For a better snapshot, Carson should consider including runners from various finishing times, not just the speedsters. This way, he can capture a wider range of experiences and opinions from both competitive athletes and those who participated for the fun of it.
Additionally, the timing of the poll matters! If Carson speaks to finishers right after they cross the line when adrenaline is high, their opinions might not be as reflective as those given days later when they’ve had a chance to relax and reflect. Gathering feedback at different points in time can lead to a much more balanced perspective!
