Which definition best describes the target population?

Which definition best describes the target population?

• A. The entire group a researcher is interested in.
• B. A sample chosen to represent the group.
• C. The group that funds the research.
• D. The specific individuals who participate.

Answer: (A)

Target population means the entire group the researcher wants to learn about and generalize findings to. That’s why the most fitting definition is the one that describes the whole group of interest, rather than a smaller subset or other roles in the study. The sample chosen to represent the group is a subset used to study and infer about the target population, but it isn’t the target population itself. The group that funds the research isn’t about who the study aims to learn about, and the specific individuals who participate are the actual sample or participants, not the whole population of interest. For example, if you’re studying memory in all adults in the UK, the target population is all UK adults.

Target population means the entire group the researcher wants to learn about and generalize findings to. That’s why the most fitting definition is the one that describes the whole group of interest, rather than a smaller subset or other roles in the study. The sample chosen to represent the group is a subset used to study and infer about the target population, but it isn’t the target population itself. The group that funds the research isn’t about who the study aims to learn about, and the specific individuals who participate are the actual sample or participants, not the whole population of interest. For example, if you’re studying memory in all adults in the UK, the target population is all UK adults.