Identify the population, and the sample in each of the following:
A small college has 275 tenured full and associate professors. Twenty professors are randomly chosen to take part in a survey about the incorporation of technology into their teaching approach.
A survey of 1023 American households found that 65% of the households subscribe to cable television.
A survey of 546 American women found that 56% of them are are the primary investor in their household.
A survey of 872 American vacationers found that they planned on spending at least $1800 dollars for their next vacation.
Population is the total group to which results will be generalized. A sample is a portion of that population.
So for the American vacationers example is the Population - all Americans or all American Vacationers?
In order to identify the population and sample in each of the given scenarios, we need to understand the context of the data being collected and who it pertains to.
1. For the small college scenario:
- Population: The population in this case refers to all tenured full and associate professors at the small college, totaling 275 individuals.
- Sample: The sample is the group of 20 professors who were randomly selected to participate in the survey about incorporating technology into their teaching approach.
2. For the survey of American households:
- Population: The population is all American households in the country.
- Sample: The sample is the 1023 American households that were surveyed.
3. For the survey of American women:
- Population: The population is all American women in the country.
- Sample: The sample is the 546 American women who were surveyed.
4. For the survey of American vacationers:
- Population: The population is all American vacationers.
- Sample: The sample is the 872 American vacationers who were surveyed and indicated that they planned on spending at least $1800 for their next vacation.
In each of the scenarios, the population represents the entire group of individuals that the data would ideally represent. The sample, on the other hand, is a smaller subgroup of the population that is selected for data collection purposes.