Question

a study of an association between which ear is used for cell phone calls and whether the subject is left - handed or right - handed began with a survey e - mailed to 5000 people belonging to an otology online group, and 717 surveys were returned. (otology relates to the ear and hearing.) what percentage of the 5000 surveys were returned? does that response rate appear to be low? in general, what is a problem with a very low response rate?
of the 5000 surveys, 14 % were returned. this response rate to be low.
what is a problem with a very low response rate?
a. it indicates a lack of blinding which creates a serious p
b. it does not allow for sufficient replication to produce a r
sample.
c. it creates a serious potential for getting a biased sampl
a special interest in the topic.
d. it creates a serious potential for confounding which creates a serious potential for erroneous conclusions.

Explanation:

Part 1: Calculate the percentage of returned surveys

Step 1: Identify the total and returned surveys

Total surveys = 5000, Returned surveys = 717.

Step 2: Calculate the percentage

Percentage = $\frac{\text{Returned}}{\text{Total}} \times 100=\frac{717}{5000} \times 100$
First, calculate $\frac{717}{5000}=0.1434$, then multiply by 100: $0.1434\times100 = 14.34\%$, round to nearest whole number is 14%.

Step 3: Determine if response rate is low

A 14% response rate is relatively low (since many survey response rates aim for higher, like 30%+ in some cases), so it appears to be low.

Part 2: Problem with low response rate

A very low response rate (like 14%) creates a biased sample because those who respond may have different characteristics than non - responders, leading to results that don't represent the entire population. Option C states "It creates a serious potential for getting a biased sample", which matches this concept. Option A is about blinding (not related to response rate), Option B is about replication (low response rate doesn't directly affect replication ability), Option D is about confounding (low response rate's main issue is bias, not confounding in this context).

Answer:

• Percentage of returned surveys: 14% (it appears to be low).
• Problem with low response rate: C. It creates a serious potential for getting a biased sample.