What term describes a single characteristic of the population under study?

What term describes a single characteristic of the population under study?

• A. Parameter
• B. Population
• C. Sample
• D. Census

Answer: (A)

Describing a single characteristic of the population you’re studying is done with a parameter. A parameter is a numerical description that pertains to the entire population, such as the population mean or the population proportion. It represents the fixed value that would characterize that population if you could measure every member. In contrast, a statistic describes a characteristic of a sample drawn from the population, not the whole group. A census is a data collection that attempts to count or measure every member of the population, which can yield the same kind of descriptive value for the whole group, but the term that specifically denotes a single population characteristic is parameter. For example, the average age of all residents in a city is a parameter; the average age of the 200 residents you surveyed is a statistic.

Describing a single characteristic of the population you’re studying is done with a parameter. A parameter is a numerical description that pertains to the entire population, such as the population mean or the population proportion. It represents the fixed value that would characterize that population if you could measure every member. In contrast, a statistic describes a characteristic of a sample drawn from the population, not the whole group. A census is a data collection that attempts to count or measure every member of the population, which can yield the same kind of descriptive value for the whole group, but the term that specifically denotes a single population characteristic is parameter. For example, the average age of all residents in a city is a parameter; the average age of the 200 residents you surveyed is a statistic.