Module 10: Background You’ll Need 6

  • Identify and interpret the difference between sample proportions.

Proportions

A Pew Research Center survey conducted in January 2021 about American adults’ perceptions of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Note: The survey was conducted in January 2021; the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.

The survey randomly selected [latex]10,334[/latex] U.S. adult respondents. The graphic below shows the percentages of respondents saying that, compared with one year earlier, their financial situations (and that of their families) were better, worse, or about the same.

xThe figure shows three columns and 5 rows. The first row is a header row and it labels each column “Better”, “Worse”, and “About the same”, respectively. The second row, representing the responses of all adults, shows 30 “better” responses, 21 “worse” responses, and 49 “about the same” responses. The third row, representing the responses of lower income adults, shows 22 “better” responses, 31 “worse” responses, and 46 “about the same” responses. The fourth row, representing the responses of middle income adults, shows 32 “better” responses, 18 “worse” responses, and 49 “about the same” responses. The fifth row, representing the responses of upper income adults, shows 39 “better” responses, 11 “worse” responses, and 50 “about the same” responses.
Note: Some rows do not add to [latex]100\%[/latex] because the shares of respondents who didn’t offer answers are not shown.

An inequality is a mathematical statement that compares two expressions using the ideas of greater than or less than. Special symbols are used in these statements. When you read an inequality, read it from left to right—just like reading text on a page.


  1. Horowitz, J. M., Brown, A., & Minkin, R. (2021, March 5). A year into the pandemic, long-term financial impact weighs heavily on many Americans. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2021/03/05/a-year-into-the-pandemic-long-term-financial-impact-weighs-heavily-on-many-americans/ ↵