A frozen yogurt shop conducted a survey in which it asked every fourth customer for his or her favorite flavor. Most of the customers surveyed preferred vanilla yogurt, so the shop concluded that the customers' favorite flavor is vanilla. Is this a valid conclusion?
1 answer
No, this conclusion is not valid. The survey methodology of asking every fourth customer may introduce sampling bias, as it does not guarantee a representative sample of all customers. It is possible that the sampling method unintentionally selected a specific group of customers who prefer vanilla yogurt more than others. To make a valid conclusion, a more random and representative sampling method should be used to ensure a fair representation of all customers' preferences.