Frame mismatch bias occurs when which condition holds?

Frame mismatch bias occurs when which condition holds?

• A. The sampling frame is outdated.
• B. Nonresponse bias is present.
• C. The sampling frame does not perfectly cover the population, leading to undercoverage or overcoverage.
• D. It is the same as measurement error.

Answer: (C)

Frame mismatch bias arises when the sampling frame does not perfectly cover the population of interest, leading to undercoverage or overcoverage. Because the frame is what you sample from, any groups left out of the frame will be missed (undercoverage) and any people in the frame who aren’t part of the target population are included (overcoverage), which biases the estimates. For example, using a landline phone directory to sample the adult population excludes mobile-only individuals, biasing results toward those with landlines. This bias is different from nonresponse bias, which comes from who actually responds, and from measurement error, which concerns inaccuracies in data collection. An outdated frame can contribute to coverage problems, but frame mismatch bias specifically centers on imperfect coverage of the population.

Frame mismatch bias arises when the sampling frame does not perfectly cover the population of interest, leading to undercoverage or overcoverage. Because the frame is what you sample from, any groups left out of the frame will be missed (undercoverage) and any people in the frame who aren’t part of the target population are included (overcoverage), which biases the estimates. For example, using a landline phone directory to sample the adult population excludes mobile-only individuals, biasing results toward those with landlines. This bias is different from nonresponse bias, which comes from who actually responds, and from measurement error, which concerns inaccuracies in data collection. An outdated frame can contribute to coverage problems, but frame mismatch bias specifically centers on imperfect coverage of the population.