Many large cities have considered or passed proposals that ban the use of plastic grocery bags in stores. A concerned student would like to measure if residents of her hometown would consider a similar ban on plastic bags. Standing in a busy shopping area, the student approaches adults and asks, "Items made of plastics are a dangerous, growing source of pollution to our world’s oceans and threaten many animal species. Given this, would you support a ban on plastic shopping bags in our city stores?” Which type of bias is most likely to be present in the survey results?
Answer
A
This is nonresponse bias because many adults chosen may decline to answer questions about the environment.
B
This is question wording bias because the survey question attempts to influence subjects’ responses.
C
This is response bias because some adults may not provide truthful answers to the plastic bag question.
D
This is voluntary response bias because many adults may be eager to share their opinions about plastic grocery bags.