Three Randomly Selected Households Are Surveyed as a Pilot Project

question 26

Essay

Three randomly selected households are surveyed as a pilot project for a larger survey to be conducted later. The numbers of people in the households are 2, 3, and 8. Consider the
values of 2, 3, and 8 to be a population. Assume that samples of size n = 2 are randomly
selected with replacement from the population of 2, 3, and 8. The nine different samples are
as follows:
(2, 2), (2, 3), (2, 8), (3, 2), (3, 3), (3, 8), (8, 2), (8, 3), and (8, 8).
(i)Find the range of each of the nine samples, then summarize the sampling distribution of the
ranges in the format of a table representing the probability distribution. (ii)Compare the
population range to the mean of the sample ranges. (iii)Do the sample ranges target the value
of the population range? In general, do ranges make good estimators of population ranges?
Why or why not?

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Definitions:

Fallacy of Ambiguity

Arguments that have ambiguous phrases or sloppy grammatical structure.

Equivocation

A critical term in a discussion shifts its definition as the conversation progresses.

Hasty Generalization

A conclusion is drawn from an unrepresentative or insufficiently sized sample.

Loaded Question

A fallacy that assumes a particular answer to another unasked question.