When a car dealership surveys visitors who did not buy a car, which potential bias might affect the results?

In the context of surveying visitors who did not buy a car, non-response bias is a significant concern. Non-response bias occurs when individuals selected for a survey do not respond, which can lead to a result that is not representative of the entire population being studied. In this scenario, if many potential respondents who chose not to buy a car do not provide feedback, the results may reflect only the views of those who did respond—potentially skewing the interpretation of why people did not purchase a car.

For instance, if those who had a negative experience are less likely to respond to the survey, the dealership might incorrectly conclude that the reasons for not buying a car are more positive or neutral than they actually are. This could result in misguided strategies aimed at improving sales. The findings based solely on the responses from the people who did choose to participate might overlook important feedback from those who did not engage, leading to conclusions that do not accurately reflect the sentiments of all visitors.

This sensitivity to who responds versus who does not is why recognizing non-response bias is critical in survey methodology.