Lola played 7 songs from each piano book in her music library. Each piano book has an equal number of songs. Is this sample of the songs in the music library likely to be biased?

Answer 1

To determine if Lola's sample of songs is likely to be biased, we need to consider a few factors:

1. Equal Representation: If each piano book has an equal number of songs and Lola plays 7 songs from each book, she is providing an equal representation from each book. This aspect reduces the likelihood of bias based solely on the number of songs sampled from each book.

2. Selection Criteria: We need to consider how Lola chose the 7 songs from each book. If she randomly selected the songs from each book, the sample is less likely to be biased. However, if she chose songs based on her personal preference (e.g., only her favorite or well-known songs), this could introduce bias, as it would not represent the full diversity of songs in the books.

3. Content Variation: Depending on how varied the songs are within each book, the sample could still be biased. For example, if one book has mostly classical pieces and another has modern pop songs, selecting the same number from each does not account for the overall diversity of the song types and could skew her perception of her music library.

In conclusion, while Lola's method of selecting 7 songs from each book is structured to be fair, the potential for bias primarily lies in how those songs were chosen and the diversity of songs within each book. If the songs were selected randomly with no preference, the sample is less likely to be biased. If not, then there could be some bias in her sample.