A survey team asks questions of a group of people who have been carefully selected to be sure that they include the same percentages of male and female; old and young; and black, white, Asian, and Hispanic as the population as a whole. This group of people constitute a

A) representative sample.
B) random sample.
C) convenience sample.
D) longitudinal sample.

A representative sample is a group of people carefully selected to have the same characteristics as the population as a whole. In this case, the survey team has ensured that the sample includes the same percentages of different demographic groups as the population, making it a representative sample. A random sample is chosen at random, without ensuring that the sample has the same characteristics as the population. A convenience sample is made up of individuals who are readily available and willing to participate, and may not accurately represent the larger population. A longitudinal sample is a group of people who are studied over a period of time, which is not necessarily relevant to this scenario.