Washington University banned smoking on the Hilltop campus starting in 2010. The student paper decides to do an opinion poll to see if current campus students/faculty/staff support the ban. Reporters are about to start asking a sample of 250 Hilltop people for their opinions.
(a) Describe a method of gathering opinions that would result in a poll bias in favor of the ban.
(b) Describe a method of gathering opinions that would result in a poll bias against the ban.
(c) Describe a method of gathering opinions that would keep the amount of bias in the poll results to a minimum
To describe methods of gathering opinions that may result in poll bias, I will present three approaches: one favoring the ban, one opposing the ban, and one minimizing bias.
(a) Method favoring the ban:
To create a poll bias in favor of the ban, the reporters could conduct the survey during events or meetings specific to organizations or clubs that support the smoking ban. By targeting groups of individuals who are likely to support the ban, the poll results may be skewed in favor of it.
(b) Method opposing the ban:
Conversely, to introduce bias against the ban, the reporters could conduct the survey near designated smoking areas or places where smokers typically gather. By focusing on areas where smoking is more prevalent, the poll results may be biased against the ban.
(c) Method minimizing bias:
To minimize bias in the poll results, the reporters should aim to gather a diverse and representative sample of the Hilltop community. They could use random sampling techniques, such as selecting names from a university directory or using a random number generator to select participants. This approach allows for a broader range of perspectives and reduces the risk of biased results. Additionally, the reporters should ensure that the poll is conducted in various locations across the campus, including both communal areas and departments or buildings that have different demographic characteristics.
To obtain accurate results, it's crucial to reach out to a wide range of individuals to avoid bias and reflect the diversity of opinions on the smoking ban.