Which method would measure the percentage of young people who say they want to cohabit with a romantic partner before marriage?

Which method would measure the percentage of young people who say they want to cohabit with a romantic partner before marriage?

• A. Longitudinal survey
• B. In-depth interview
• C. Observation
• D. Sample survey

Answer: (D)

Estimating how many young people share a specific view requires data that represent the broader group and can be turned into a percentage. A sample survey does this best because it questions a representative subset of the population using standardized questions, allowing you to calculate the proportion who express a desire to cohabit before marriage and to estimate that proportion for the whole population. Longitudinal surveys track the same individuals over time, which is great for seeing how views change, but a single percentage at a given time is best captured with a cross-sectional sample survey. In-depth interviews provide rich, detailed insights but aren’t efficient for producing a precise population-wide percentage. Observation focuses on observed behavior rather than stated opinions, and generalizing those findings to a population’s views is tricky. The sample survey combines representativeness with quantifiable responses, making it the right tool for measuring the stated percentage.

Estimating how many young people share a specific view requires data that represent the broader group and can be turned into a percentage. A sample survey does this best because it questions a representative subset of the population using standardized questions, allowing you to calculate the proportion who express a desire to cohabit before marriage and to estimate that proportion for the whole population.

Longitudinal surveys track the same individuals over time, which is great for seeing how views change, but a single percentage at a given time is best captured with a cross-sectional sample survey. In-depth interviews provide rich, detailed insights but aren’t efficient for producing a precise population-wide percentage. Observation focuses on observed behavior rather than stated opinions, and generalizing those findings to a population’s views is tricky. The sample survey combines representativeness with quantifiable responses, making it the right tool for measuring the stated percentage.