Calculate Point Estimate of Proportion Responding No

In a survey of 150 individuals, there are 75 responses of 'yes', 55 responses of 'no', and 20 responses of 'no opinion'. Calculate the point estimate of the proportion in the population that responded 'no'.

This problem is focused on the concept of point estimation, specifically calculating the proportion of a population with a specific characteristic based on sample data. Point estimation is a key concept in inferential statistics, where we aim to use sample data to make inferences about a population parameter. In this context, the sample consists of survey responses, and we are tasked with determining the proportion of 'no' responses in the sample to estimate the proportion in the entire population.

One of the main strategies here is to recognize that the problem uses categorical data, meaning each individual response can be classified into one of several categories: 'yes', 'no', or 'no opinion'. The calculated proportion of 'no' responses from the sample is then used as the point estimate for the population proportion. This straightforward method of using sample proportions provides a practical and effective way to gain insights into population parameters, especially when dealing with surveys.

Understanding how to compute these kinds of estimates is foundational for more advanced statistical techniques, such as constructing confidence intervals or conducting hypothesis tests. Here, the ability to analyze categorical data and work with proportions provides a basis for responding to more complex questions about population characteristics. Furthermore, mastering this technique is crucial for any student aiming to conduct statistical analysis in real-world situations where population data is often inaccessible or too costly to gather in entirety.