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Sampling bias

A compact thinking tool for spotting patterns and avoiding mistakes.

  1. The useful idea

    In statistics, sampling bias is a bias in which a sample is collected in such a way that some members of the intended population have a lower or higher sampling probability than others.

  2. How it works

    It results in a biased sample of a population (or non-human factors) in which all individuals, or instances, were not equally likely to have been selected.

  3. Why it matters

    If this is not accounted for, results can be erroneously attributed to the phenomenon under study rather than to the method of sampling.

Use Sampling bias as a quick check before trusting your first conclusion.

Use Sampling bias as a quick check before trusting your first conclusion.

Test your recall

Which idea belongs to the explanation of Sampling bias?

  • Why it matters
  • How it works
  • The useful idea — correct

In statistics, sampling bias is a bias in which a sample is collected in such a way that some members of the intended population have a lower or higher sampling probability than others.

EvergreenLast verified 2026-07-19

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