A sample must be representative of all the people in the market.

A sample must be representative of all the people in the market.

• A. Only the researchers' friends.
• B. All the people in the market.
• C. The company's suppliers.
• D. People in a single region.

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is representativeness in sampling—the sample should reflect the characteristics of the whole market you’re studying. If you only survey the researchers’ friends, you’d get the views of that small group, which isn’t likely to match the market as a whole. If you focus on the company’s suppliers, you’d be hearing only the supplier perspective, not the broader customer market. Sampling people in a single region misses differences that exist across regions. The best choice describes the group you want your results to apply to: all the people in the market. That’s the population you’re aiming to reflect, so the sample should be drawn in a way that represents that entire market.

The key idea here is representativeness in sampling—the sample should reflect the characteristics of the whole market you’re studying. If you only survey the researchers’ friends, you’d get the views of that small group, which isn’t likely to match the market as a whole. If you focus on the company’s suppliers, you’d be hearing only the supplier perspective, not the broader customer market. Sampling people in a single region misses differences that exist across regions. The best choice describes the group you want your results to apply to: all the people in the market. That’s the population you’re aiming to reflect, so the sample should be drawn in a way that represents that entire market.