Which term refers to the group of people selected to represent the larger market in research?

• A. Focus groups
• B. Sample
• C. Market segment
• D. Respondent

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is about sampling in market research: you study a smaller group to represent the whole market. The group chosen to stand in for the larger market is a sample. The goal is for this sample to reflect the key characteristics of the entire population so that findings can be generalized beyond just the people surveyed.

A focus group is a specific data-collection method where a small, guided discussion generates insights; it isn’t the term for a representative subset. A market segment is a defined subgroup of customers sharing similar needs or traits, used for targeting and analysis, not for standing in as the research sample. A respondent is simply someone who answers the questions, the individual data point, not the concept of representation.