Which term describes a subset of the population of interest identified for study?

Which term describes a subset of the population of interest identified for study?

• A. Sample
• B. Population
• C. Variable
• D. Hypothesis

Answer: (A)

In research, the subset of the population you actually study is called the sample. You start with the population—the entire group you’re interested in, such as all adults in a city. Since studying everyone is usually impractical, you select a sample that’s intended to represent that population so you can infer characteristics about the whole group. A variable is anything you measure that can vary (like age or blood pressure), and a hypothesis is a testable statement about how variables relate. The sample is the data-collection group you analyze to draw conclusions about the population, so it’s the correct term here.

In research, the subset of the population you actually study is called the sample. You start with the population—the entire group you’re interested in, such as all adults in a city. Since studying everyone is usually impractical, you select a sample that’s intended to represent that population so you can infer characteristics about the whole group. A variable is anything you measure that can vary (like age or blood pressure), and a hypothesis is a testable statement about how variables relate. The sample is the data-collection group you analyze to draw conclusions about the population, so it’s the correct term here.