In selecting the sample size to estimate the population proportion p, if we have no knowledge of even the approximate values of the sample proportion $$\hat { p }$$ , we:
A)take another sample and estimate p.
B)take two more samples and find the average of their $$\hat { p }$$ values.
C)let $$\hat { p }$$ = 0.50.
D)let $$\hat { p }$$ = 0.95.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When there is no prior knowledge of the sample proportion $\hat { p }$, it is common practice to use $\hat { p } = 0.50$ for sample size calculation. This is because 0.50 maximizes the variance of the binomial distribution, which $\hat { p }$ estimates, leading to a conservative sample size estimate that is likely to be adequate for the actual population proportion.

In Selecting the Sample Size to Estimate the Population Proportion p^\hat { p }p^​

In Selecting the Sample Size to Estimate the Population Proportion $\hat { p }$