How can pollsters purposefully skew their results in favor of a specific political opinion?
A.
by asking leading questions
B.
by using too small of a sample
C.
by taking too long with the opinion poll
D.
by failing to pay the responders
I don't think it's C or D. Toss up between A and B... leaning towards B, but I'm not sure
I vote for A.
yes, A is correct
You are correct in eliminating options C and D as they are not methods of purposely skewing poll results. Now, let's take a closer look at options A and B to determine how pollsters can purposefully skew their results in favor of a specific political opinion.
A. By asking leading questions: This is a technique where pollsters frame their questions in a way that influences or guides respondents towards a particular answer. For example, asking "Do you agree that candidate X's policies are the best for economic growth?" instead of "What are your thoughts on candidate X's economic policies?" This leading question could potentially bias the responses towards a positive view of candidate X.
B. By using too small of a sample: The size of the sample, or the number of people included in a poll, plays an important role in the accuracy of the results. If pollsters purposefully use a small sample size that doesn't accurately represent the population being studied, the results can be skewed towards a specific political opinion.
In summary, both options A and B can be used by pollsters to purposefully skew their results in favor of a specific political opinion. However, the decision depends on the specific tactics chosen and the context of the poll.
To purposefully skew poll results in favor of a specific political opinion, pollsters can employ a variety of methods. In this case, you are trying to determine whether option A (asking leading questions) or option B (using too small of a sample) is more likely to be the correct answer.
One way pollsters can influence results is by asking leading questions. These are questions that are phrased in a way that encourages respondents to answer in a particular manner. For example, a question like "Don't you agree that Candidate X's policies are beneficial for the economy?" assumes a positive viewpoint about Candidate X, potentially influencing the respondents' answers.
On the other hand, using too small of a sample can also skew the results. When a pollster takes a sample that is not representative of the larger population, it can lead to inaccurate conclusions. For instance, if a poll is conducted in a specific region that is known to have a particular political leaning, the results may not reflect the wider range of opinions in the entire population.
In this scenario, you mentioned that you have ruled out option C (taking too long with the opinion poll) and option D (failing to pay the responders). Both of these options are unrelated to purposely skewing the results and can be eliminated.
To determine which answer is more likely, consider that while both options A and B can influence the results, using too small of a sample is generally a more reliable method for manipulating outcomes. By selecting a sample that is biased toward a particular demographic or geographic area, pollsters can obtain results that reflect the desired political opinion.
Therefore, option B (by using too small of a sample) is the most likely correct answer when it comes to purposefully skewing poll results in favor of a specific political opinion.