Colleen Waite, Director of General Canadian Sales, is concerned by a downward sales trend. Specifically, their customer base is stable at 2,200, but they are purchasing less each year. She orders her staff to search for causes of the downward trend by selecting a focus group of 50 customers.
A) The 2,200 customers represent a sample.
B) The 2,200 customers represent a population.
C) The 2,200 customers represent an inferential statistic.
D) The 2,200 customers represent a census.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The 2,200 customers represent a population, as they are the entire group of customers that the company serves. A sample is a smaller subset of the population that is studied in order to make inferences about the population. The term "inferential statistic" refers to a technique or method used in statistical analysis, not a population or sample. A census is a complete enumeration of a population, which is not the case here as not all potential customers are being included.

Colleen Waite, Director of General Canadian Sales, Is Concerned by a Downward