Description: The ‘hypothetical population’ is a fundamental concept in applied statistics that refers to a theoretical set of individuals or elements sharing specific characteristics, used to simplify the analysis of sampling distributions. This concept allows statisticians to make inferences about a broader population from a representative sample. The hypothetical population is not limited to an existing physical group but can be a theoretical construct that aids in understanding statistical phenomena. For instance, when studying consumer behavior, a hypothetical population might include all buyers of a product in a country, regardless of whether all of them have been observed. This approach is crucial for developing statistical models and applying sampling techniques, as it enables researchers to make generalizations and predictions based on limited data. The hypothetical population also plays an important role in hypothesis formulation and theory validation, providing a framework to assess the variability and uncertainty inherent in collected data.
