The complete set of people or things being studied is called the population.
In research and statistics, a population refers to the entirety of a group that is the subject of interest. This can include people, animals, objects, or events. Understanding the concept of population is crucial because it helps researchers determine the scope of their study and ensures that their findings can be generalized. For instance, if a researcher is studying the dietary habits of teenagers in a specific city, the population would be all teenagers living in that city. Sampling is often used to gather data from a subset of the population, which can then provide insights about the entire group. Accurate definitions and identifications of the population lead to more reliable results in any research undertaking.