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Ch. 1 - Introduction to Statistics
Triola - Elementary Statistics 14th Edition
Triola14th EditionElementary StatisticsISBN: 9780137366446Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 1, Problem 1.2.1

Parameter and Statistic In a Citrix Security survey of 1001 adults in the United States, it was found that 69% of those surveyed believe that having their personal information stolen is inevitable. Identify the population and sample. Is the value of 69% a statistic or a parameter?

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Identify the population: The population is the entire group of individuals or instances about whom we hope to learn. In this case, the population is all adults in the United States.
Identify the sample: The sample is a subset of the population that is used to collect data and make inferences about the population. Here, the sample consists of the 1001 adults who were surveyed.
Determine if the value is a statistic or a parameter: A statistic is a numerical measurement describing some characteristic of a sample, while a parameter is a numerical measurement describing some characteristic of a population.
Analyze the given value: The 69% value is derived from the sample of 1001 adults, not the entire population of U.S. adults.
Conclude the nature of the value: Since the 69% is based on the sample, it is a statistic, not a parameter.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Population

In statistics, a population refers to the entire group of individuals or instances about whom we want to draw conclusions. In the context of the survey mentioned, the population consists of all adults in the United States, as the survey aims to understand their beliefs regarding personal information theft.
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Sample

A sample is a subset of the population selected for analysis, which is used to make inferences about the population as a whole. In this case, the sample is the 1001 adults surveyed, representing a smaller group from the larger population of all U.S. adults.
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Statistic vs. Parameter

A statistic is a numerical value that describes a characteristic of a sample, while a parameter is a numerical value that describes a characteristic of a population. The 69% figure from the survey is a statistic because it is derived from the sample of 1001 adults, rather than the entire population of U.S. adults.
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Textbook Question

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