An estimator is said to be consistent if:
A)the difference between the estimator and the population parameter grows smaller as the sample size grows larger.
B)it is an unbiased estimator.
C)the variance of the estimator is zero.
D)the difference between the estimator and the population parameter stays the same as the sample size grows larger.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Consistency is the property of an estimator that tends to get closer to the true value of the population parameter as the sample size increases. Option A states this property correctly. Option B, C, and D are incorrect as unbiasedness and zero variance do not imply consistency, and an estimator that stays the same with growing sample size is not consistent.

An Estimator Is Said to Be Consistent If