An airline company surveys customers by randomly selecting 5 flights and surveying...
Check the final answer first, then review the worked steps.
Problem
An airline company surveys customers by randomly selecting 5 flights and surveying every passenger on those flights. What type of sample is this?
Answer
Cluster random sample
Step-by-step solution
- Understand the sampling methods: The problem describes a scenario where an airline company selects 5 flights randomly and then surveys all passengers on those selected flights. We need to identify which type of sampling method this represents.
2. Analyze the options:
* Simple random sample: Every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected. In this case, it would mean every passenger has an equal chance of being selected, not necessarily grouped by flight.
* Stratified random sample: The population is divided into subgroups (strata), and then a random sample is taken from each subgroup. For example, passengers could be divided by class (economy, business, first class), and then a random sample from each class would be taken.
* Cluster random sample: The population is divided into clusters, and then a random sample of the clusters is selected. All individuals within the selected clusters are then included in the sample. In this problem, the flights can be considered clusters.
* Systematic random sample: Individuals are selected at regular intervals from a list or sequence. For example, selecting every 10th passenger on a list.
- Apply the definitions to the problem: The airline company first randomly selects 5 flights. These flights act as the clusters. Then, every passenger on those selected flights is surveyed. This means that once a flight (cluster) is chosen, all members of that cluster (passengers on that flight) are included in the sample. This perfectly matches the definition of a cluster random sample.
- Conclusion: The sampling method described is a cluster random sample.