The population mean is estimated by
A)calculating the mean of as many scores as we can get from the population.
B)calculating the mean of a random sample drawn from the population.
C)calculating the mean of a sample and then transforming it to reflect the size of the population.
D)calculating all measures of central tendency for a random sample drawn from the population.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best way to estimate the population mean is by calculating the mean of a random sample drawn from the population. This is because a random sample is representative of the population and allows for inference to the population. Simply calculating the mean of as many scores as we can get from the population (option A) is not practical or feasible in many cases. Transforming the mean of a sample to reflect the size of the population (option C) is not necessary as the sample mean is already an estimate of the population mean. Calculating all measures of central tendency for a random sample drawn from the population (option D) is not necessary as the mean is a sufficient statistic for estimating the population mean.

The Population Mean Is Estimated by