Question
A large company wants to find the favorite animal of their employees…would surveying every 5th woman who uses the copier, be a random, representative sample? Explain your answer.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Surveying every 5th woman who uses the copier would not constitute a random, representative sample of the entire employee population. While it may include a systematic approach to selecting participants, several key factors affect its representativeness and randomness:
1. **Selection Bias**: The sample is limited to women who use the copier at a specific time. This could result in a bias if, for example, only certain departments or roles frequently use the copier, potentially excluding those who may have different favorite animals.
2. **Non-random Aspect**: The method of selecting every 5th woman implies a predetermined pattern rather than a completely random selection. Random sampling means each employee has an equal chance of being selected, which is not the case here.
3. **Exclusivity**: This method only surveys one gender (women), which further limits the representativeness of the sample. Men and non-binary employees would not be included in the survey, leading to skewed results reflective of only a portion of the overall employee population.
In summary, while the method may gather some insights, it would not yield a truly random or representative sample of the company's entire workforce. To achieve a more accurate representation, a random sampling method that includes all employees, regardless of gender or any other factors, would be needed.
1. **Selection Bias**: The sample is limited to women who use the copier at a specific time. This could result in a bias if, for example, only certain departments or roles frequently use the copier, potentially excluding those who may have different favorite animals.
2. **Non-random Aspect**: The method of selecting every 5th woman implies a predetermined pattern rather than a completely random selection. Random sampling means each employee has an equal chance of being selected, which is not the case here.
3. **Exclusivity**: This method only surveys one gender (women), which further limits the representativeness of the sample. Men and non-binary employees would not be included in the survey, leading to skewed results reflective of only a portion of the overall employee population.
In summary, while the method may gather some insights, it would not yield a truly random or representative sample of the company's entire workforce. To achieve a more accurate representation, a random sampling method that includes all employees, regardless of gender or any other factors, would be needed.