Question

Researchers want to study the average weight of adult squirrels in a city park. Researchers set up traps to capture squirrels near a popular picnic area and weigh the captured squirrels.

Why might undercoverage be a problem in this study?

(1 point)
Responses

Squirrels near the picnic area are likely to be heavier due to access to food scraps, which can skew the results of the study.
Squirrels near the picnic area are likely to be heavier due to access to food scraps, which can skew the results of the study.

The traps might malfunction, preventing some squirrels from being captured and weighed.
The traps might malfunction, preventing some squirrels from being captured and weighed.

The scale used to weigh the squirrels might not be accurate.
The scale used to weigh the squirrels might not be accurate.

Squirrels living in other areas of the park, away from the picnic area, might have different weights and not be represented in the sample.
Squirrels living in other areas of the park, away from the picnic area, might have different weights and not be represented in the sample.

Answer 1

Squirrels living in other areas of the park, away from the picnic area, might have different weights and not be represented in the sample.

Explanation: Sampling only near the picnic area underrepresents squirrels elsewhere (undercoverage), and those omitted squirrels might have different average weights, biasing the estimate.