A researcher uses an anonymous survey to investigate the drinking habits of American college students. Based on the set of 56 surveys that were completed and returned, the researcher finds that these students consume an average of four drinks each week. For this study, the average of four drinks is an example of a(n) ____.
A) parameter
B) statistic
C) population
D) sample

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The average of four drinks is a statistic because it is based on the sample of 56 surveys that were completed and returned. It cannot be a parameter because parameters refer to characteristics of the entire population, which is not known in this study. Population refers to the entire group of individuals that the researcher is interested in, which could be American college students in general, but again, the characteristics of this population are not known in this study. Sample refers to the subset of the population that was studied, which in this case is the 56 surveys that were completed and returned.

A Researcher Uses an Anonymous Survey to Investigate the Drinking