A report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimated that 10.2 percent of Americans in 2014 had used illicit drugs with a margin of error of ± 0.18 percent. Suppose that many of those asked about their behavior give an answer that isn't the truth because they fear that their answer will go to law enforcement officials.
A) This is a sampling error that causes bias.
B) This is a sampling error that increases variability.
C) This is a nonsampling error that causes bias.
D) This is a nonsampling error that increases variability.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is a nonsampling error, as it is not related to the methodology of sampling itself but rather to the honesty of the responses given. It causes bias because it skews the results away from the true value and towards an underestimation of the prevalence of illicit drug use.

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