ExpertEasy1 markShort Answer
AQA GCSE · Question 05.1 · Data Collection and Sampling Methods
A researcher wants to survey 500 secondary school students in a large city to find out their favourite type of movie. The researcher visits one large school and surveys the first 500 students they meet. Based on this method, what is the most likely source of bias?
A researcher wants to survey 500 secondary school students in a large city to find out their favourite type of movie. The researcher visits one large school and surveys the first 500 students they meet. Based on this method, what is the most likely source of bias?
How to approach this question
1. Read the description of the sampling method.
2. Identify the population (secondary school students in a large city).
3. Identify the sample (the first 500 students from one specific school).
4. Compare the sample to the population. Does the sample represent the entire population?
5. The population includes students from all schools in the city, but the sample is from only one. This is a key difference.
6. Consider other aspects: "first 500 students" is a convenience sample, which is also a source of bias. However, the most significant issue is the lack of representation from other schools.
7. State the main source of bias.
Full Answer
The sample is taken from only one school.
The question describes a sampling method and asks for the most likely source of bias. The target population is all secondary school students in a large city. The sample, however, is drawn from only one school. This is a major source of bias because the students in one school may have different preferences, backgrounds, or demographics compared to students in other schools across the city. For example, a school in an affluent area might have different movie preferences from a school in a less affluent area. Therefore, the sample is not representative of the entire population.
Common mistakes
✗ Focusing only on the "first 500" aspect (convenience sampling). While this is a weakness, the single-school issue is a more fundamental problem of representation.
✗ Stating the sample size is too small. 500 is a reasonable sample size; the issue is how it was selected.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Statistics Higher Tier Paper 1
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