Question 1

If a political survey is conducted at a women's gym, which of the following would be most likely to cast doubt on the external validity of these studies?

Accepted Answer

A) The surveyors were not members of the gym. 
B) The surveyors were members of the gym. 
C) All of the participants were women. 
D) All of the participants were gym members. 
E) All of the participants had just exercised or were about to exercise. 
A) The surveyors were not members of the gym. 
B) The surveyors were members of the gym. 
C) All of the participants were women. 
D) All of the participants were gym members. 
E) All of the participants had just exercised or were about to exercise.

Question 2

Which of the following statistics is a median?

Accepted Answer

A) The temperature at noon today was 78.3 degrees. 
B) The atomic number of lead is 82. 
C) 11 of the 12 apostles were martyred. 
D) Half of the jog-a-thon participants had dropped out by 13 hours and 28 minutes into the event.But the rest continued on. 
E) The 14 guests at the party used 200 ice cubes, which comes out to 14.29 ice cubes per person. 
A) The temperature at noon today was 78.3 degrees. 
B) The atomic number of lead is 82. 
C) 11 of the 12 apostles were martyred. 
D) Half of the jog-a-thon participants had dropped out by 13 hours and 28 minutes into the event.But the rest continued on. 
E) The 14 guests at the party used 200 ice cubes, which comes out to 14.29 ice cubes per person.

Question 3

What sort of statistic does the following most clearly exemplify? I wasn't always driving at the same speed on my trip, but when I divided the total distance that I drove by the time it took, I got 38 miles per hour.

Accepted Answer

A) average 
B) distribution 
C) absolute frequency 
D) total 
E) median 
A) average 
B) distribution 
C) absolute frequency 
D) total 
E) median

Question 4

If we have a distribution that tells us what percentage of the members of S belong to each of the mutually exclusive classes N, O, P, Q, and R, is that enough information to calculate the ratio of N and R?

Accepted Answer

A) No, because we don't know the actual number of members in N and R. 
B) No, because we could not isolate N and R from their relations to O, P, and Q. 
C) No, because we know how S relates to N and how S relates to R, but not how N and R relate to each other. 
D) Yes, because how they relate to S tells us enough about how they relate to each other. 
E) Yes, because since they both relate to S, they will necessarily have a 1 to 1 ratio. 
A) No, because we don't know the actual number of members in N and R. 
B) No, because we could not isolate N and R from their relations to O, P, and Q. 
C) No, because we know how S relates to N and how S relates to R, but not how N and R relate to each other. 
D) Yes, because how they relate to S tells us enough about how they relate to each other. 
E) Yes, because since they both relate to S, they will necessarily have a 1 to 1 ratio.

Question 5

Suppose we want to study how a drug affects someone's happiness.It is difficult to make a direct observation of how happy someone is, so which of the following would be the best proxy variable?

Accepted Answer

A) time spent exercising 
B) frequency of smiling 
C) use of pain medication 
D) alcohol consumption 
E) frequency of social interaction 
A) time spent exercising 
B) frequency of smiling 
C) use of pain medication 
D) alcohol consumption 
E) frequency of social interaction

Question 6

A pie chart or bar graph typically represents a(n):

Accepted Answer

A) ratio 
B) total 
C) average 
D) distribution 
E) mean 
A) ratio 
B) total 
C) average 
D) distribution 
E) mean

Question 7

If we know the relative frequency with which members of class A also belong to class B, we can calculate the absolute frequency if we also know:

Accepted Answer

A) the relative frequency with which members of class A belong to a third group, class C 
B) the absolute frequency with which members of class A belong to a third group, class C 
C) whether class A or class B is larger 
D) the sum of the members in class A and the members in class B 
E) the number of members in class A 
A) the relative frequency with which members of class A belong to a third group, class C 
B) the absolute frequency with which members of class A belong to a third group, class C 
C) whether class A or class B is larger 
D) the sum of the members in class A and the members in class B 
E) the number of members in class A

Question 8

Suppose we find that there is a correlation between illegal drug use and suicide.By itself, this would not prove that illegal drug use causes suicide, because there could be a confounding variable.What is the most likely candidate?

Accepted Answer

A) smoking 
B) depression 
C) heart disease 
D) levels of policing 
E) illegal drug prices 
A) smoking 
B) depression 
C) heart disease 
D) levels of policing 
E) illegal drug prices

Question 9

A statistic gives us numerical information about some class of things.In statistics, that class is a called a:

Accepted Answer

A) statistical base 
B) numerator 
C) population 
D) contrivance 
E) compilation 
A) statistical base 
B) numerator 
C) population 
D) contrivance 
E) compilation

Question 10

Which of the following statistics is a distribution?

Accepted Answer

A) Half of all homes possess more than 1.7 bicycles, while the other half possess fewer. 
B) Sixty percent of American homes have pets, such as dogs, cats, ferrets, hamsters, and fish. 
C) Of the leaves on the ground, 84% are brown, 6% are yellow, 4% are red, and 6% are orange. 
D) No U.S.state lies on the equator. 
E) For every $100 that the charity receives, only $6 is spent on administrative costs. 
A) Half of all homes possess more than 1.7 bicycles, while the other half possess fewer. 
B) Sixty percent of American homes have pets, such as dogs, cats, ferrets, hamsters, and fish. 
C) Of the leaves on the ground, 84% are brown, 6% are yellow, 4% are red, and 6% are orange. 
D) No U.S.state lies on the equator. 
E) For every $100 that the charity receives, only $6 is spent on administrative costs.

Question 11

Which of the following statistics is a relative frequency?

Accepted Answer

A) Sixty percent of the pedestrians who pass my lemonade stand refuse to make eye contact with me. 
B) There have been 44 American presidents. 
C) For every proton in the nucleus of an atom, the atom has one electron. 
D) One hundred ninety-three people attended my brother's funeral. 
E) 42% of those surveyed favored the legislation, 29% opposed it, and another 29% were undecided. 
A) Sixty percent of the pedestrians who pass my lemonade stand refuse to make eye contact with me. 
B) There have been 44 American presidents. 
C) For every proton in the nucleus of an atom, the atom has one electron. 
D) One hundred ninety-three people attended my brother's funeral. 
E) 42% of those surveyed favored the legislation, 29% opposed it, and another 29% were undecided.

Question 12

Which of the following statistics is an absolute frequency?

Accepted Answer

A) Of all the people living in southern states, only 28 are U.S.senators. 
B) Twenty-eight percent of the recipes in this book require eggs. 
C) There are two pods of dolphins living just off of the coast. 
D) Twenty-two percent of the criminals who leave this prison will be rearrested within a year. 
E) The average Canadian goose weighs 12.5 pounds. 
A) Of all the people living in southern states, only 28 are U.S.senators. 
B) Twenty-eight percent of the recipes in this book require eggs. 
C) There are two pods of dolphins living just off of the coast. 
D) Twenty-two percent of the criminals who leave this prison will be rearrested within a year. 
E) The average Canadian goose weighs 12.5 pounds.

Question 13

Some statistics tell us how many members of one class (S) belong to each of a number of other classes (such as P, Q, and R).These statistics are called:

Accepted Answer

A) spreadsheets 
B) distributions 
C) scatter totals 
D) pigeonhole tallies 
E) arrays 
A) spreadsheets 
B) distributions 
C) scatter totals 
D) pigeonhole tallies 
E) arrays

Question 14

What sort of statistic does the following most clearly exemplify? I timed myself running to the bus stop and then back to my house and it took 3.28 minutes.Then I did it again 14 more times.About half of my runs were faster than that, and the other half were slower.

Accepted Answer

A) total 
B) absolute frequency 
C) median 
D) ratio 
E) average 
A) total 
B) absolute frequency 
C) median 
D) ratio 
E) average

Question 15

Many surveys are conducted over the phone.Which of the following would be most likely to cast doubt on the external validity of these studies?

Accepted Answer

A) The person conducting the survey was not good at operating a telephone. 
B) Some of the calls were dropped and the person had to be called back. 
C) The phone surveys were conducted by 12 surveyors instead of one. 
D) All of the people participating in the survey own telephones. 
E) The phone calls were not all placed at the same time of day. 
A) The person conducting the survey was not good at operating a telephone. 
B) Some of the calls were dropped and the person had to be called back. 
C) The phone surveys were conducted by 12 surveyors instead of one. 
D) All of the people participating in the survey own telephones. 
E) The phone calls were not all placed at the same time of day.

Question 16

Which of the following statistics is a distribution?

Accepted Answer

A) One thousand three hundred eighty-six people were killed by Hurricane Katrina. 
B) There were 18% more serious injuries at the park this year than last year. 
C) The average cost of a home where Sam lives is $129,000. 
D) Of all the cast members who have ever been a part of Saturday Night Live, eight died prematurely. 
E) In her will, Aunt Sarah left 50% of her estate to her children, 30% to her grandchildren, and 20% to charities. 
A) One thousand three hundred eighty-six people were killed by Hurricane Katrina. 
B) There were 18% more serious injuries at the park this year than last year. 
C) The average cost of a home where Sam lives is $129,000. 
D) Of all the cast members who have ever been a part of Saturday Night Live, eight died prematurely. 
E) In her will, Aunt Sarah left 50% of her estate to her children, 30% to her grandchildren, and 20% to charities.

Question 17

In order to establish a statistical correlation between a and E, we compare the presence of E in two groups, one in which a is present (called the _____ group) and one in which a is not present (called the _____ group).

Accepted Answer

A) experimental; power 
B) power; control 
C) control; power 
D) control; experimental 
E) experimental; control 
A) experimental; power 
B) power; control 
C) control; power 
D) control; experimental 
E) experimental; control

Question 18

In order to establish a statistical correlation between a and E, we need to compare two groups that are basically the same, except that a is present in one and not present in the other.Given that the individual members of these groups might vary quite a lot, how can we make it likely that, apart from the presence of a, the two groups are basically the same?

Accepted Answer

A) Use large, randomly chosen groups. 
B) Use very small, randomly chosen groups. 
C) The only way is to put exactly the same individual members into both groups. 
D) The only way is to match each individual in the first group with an individual that has all of the same characteristics in the second group. 
E) The two groups can never be similar enough to provide any meaningful information about whether or not there is a correlation. 
A) Use large, randomly chosen groups. 
B) Use very small, randomly chosen groups. 
C) The only way is to put exactly the same individual members into both groups. 
D) The only way is to match each individual in the first group with an individual that has all of the same characteristics in the second group. 
E) The two groups can never be similar enough to provide any meaningful information about whether or not there is a correlation.

Question 19

All statistics deal with _____ and _____.

Accepted Answer

A) science; nature 
B) science; culture 
C) politics; religion 
D) classes of things; their properties 
E) classes of things; their lengths 
A) science; nature 
B) science; culture 
C) politics; religion 
D) classes of things; their properties 
E) classes of things; their lengths

Question 20

If a population is quite small, does that justify making a statistical generalization from a very small sample ?

Accepted Answer

A) No.If the population size is quite small, we should attempt a complete survey of it. 
B) No.If the entire population is quite small, nothing significant can be said about it. 
C) Yes, because we would still be sampling a large percentage of the whole population (4 out of 25 is 16%!). 
D) Yes, because if the population is very small, its members are likely to be very similar, so even a very small sample will be representative of the whole population. 
E) Yes, because generalizations about smaller populations require less evidence. 
A) No.If the population size is quite small, we should attempt a complete survey of it. 
B) No.If the entire population is quite small, nothing significant can be said about it. 
C) Yes, because we would still be sampling a large percentage of the whole population (4 out of 25 is 16%!). 
D) Yes, because if the population is very small, its members are likely to be very similar, so even a very small sample will be representative of the whole population. 
E) Yes, because generalizations about smaller populations require less evidence.

If a political survey is conducted at a women's gym, which of the following would be most likely to cast doubt on the external validity of these studies?

Which of the following statistics is a median?

What sort of statistic does the following most clearly exemplify? I wasn't always driving at the same speed on my trip, but when I divided the total distance that I drove by the time it took, I got 38 miles per hour.

If we have a distribution that tells us what percentage of the members of S belong to each of the mutually exclusive classes N, O, P, Q, and R, is that enough information to calculate the ratio of N and R?

Suppose we want to study how a drug affects someone's happiness.It is difficult to make a direct observation of how happy someone is, so which of the following would be the best proxy variable?

A pie chart or bar graph typically represents a(n):

If we know the relative frequency with which members of class A also belong to class B, we can calculate the absolute frequency if we also know:

Suppose we find that there is a correlation between illegal drug use and suicide.By itself, this would not prove that illegal drug use causes suicide, because there could be a confounding variable.What is the most likely candidate?

A statistic gives us numerical information about some class of things.In statistics, that class is a called a:

Which of the following statistics is a distribution?

Which of the following statistics is a relative frequency?

Which of the following statistics is an absolute frequency?

Some statistics tell us how many members of one class (S) belong to each of a number of other classes (such as P, Q, and R).These statistics are called:

What sort of statistic does the following most clearly exemplify? I timed myself running to the bus stop and then back to my house and it took 3.28 minutes.Then I did it again 14 more times.About half of my runs were faster than that, and the other half were slower.

Many surveys are conducted over the phone.Which of the following would be most likely to cast doubt on the external validity of these studies?

Which of the following statistics is a distribution?

In order to establish a statistical correlation between a and E, we compare the presence of E in two groups, one in which a is present (called the _ group) and one in which a is not present (called the _ group).

All statistics deal with _ and _.

If a population is quite small, does that justify making a statistical generalization from a very small sample ?

Classification

Definitions

Propositions

Argument Analysis

Fallacies

Categorical Propositions

Categorical Syllogisms

Reasoning With Syllogisms

Propositional Logic-Propositions

Propositional Logic-Arguments

Predicate Logic

Inductive Generalizations

Argument by Analogy

Explanation

Probability

Filters

Exam 14: Statistical Reasoning

If a political survey is conducted at a women's gym, which of the following would be most likely to cast doubt on the external validity of these studies?

Which of the following statistics is a median?

What sort of statistic does the following most clearly exemplify? I wasn't always driving at the same speed on my trip, but when I divided the total distance that I drove by the time it took, I got 38 miles per hour.

If we have a distribution that tells us what percentage of the members of S belong to each of the mutually exclusive classes N, O, P, Q, and R, is that enough information to calculate the ratio of N and R?

Suppose we want to study how a drug affects someone's happiness.It is difficult to make a direct observation of how happy someone is, so which of the following would be the best proxy variable?

A pie chart or bar graph typically represents a(n):

If we know the relative frequency with which members of class A also belong to class B, we can calculate the absolute frequency if we also know:

Suppose we find that there is a correlation between illegal drug use and suicide.By itself, this would not prove that illegal drug use causes suicide, because there could be a confounding variable.What is the most likely candidate?

A statistic gives us numerical information about some class of things.In statistics, that class is a called a:

Which of the following statistics is a distribution?

Which of the following statistics is a relative frequency?

Which of the following statistics is an absolute frequency?

Some statistics tell us how many members of one class (S) belong to each of a number of other classes (such as P, Q, and R).These statistics are called:

What sort of statistic does the following most clearly exemplify? I timed myself running to the bus stop and then back to my house and it took 3.28 minutes.Then I did it again 14 more times.About half of my runs were faster than that, and the other half were slower.

Many surveys are conducted over the phone.Which of the following would be most likely to cast doubt on the external validity of these studies?

Which of the following statistics is a distribution?

In order to establish a statistical correlation between a and E, we compare the presence of E in two groups, one in which a is present (called the _____ group) and one in which a is not present (called the _____ group).

All statistics deal with _____ and _____.

If a population is quite small, does that justify making a statistical generalization from a very small sample ?

Classification

Definitions

Propositions

Argument Analysis

Fallacies

Categorical Propositions

Categorical Syllogisms

Reasoning With Syllogisms

Propositional Logic-Propositions

Propositional Logic-Arguments

Predicate Logic

Inductive Generalizations

Argument by Analogy

Explanation

Probability

Filters

In order to establish a statistical correlation between a and E, we compare the presence of E in two groups, one in which a is present (called the _ group) and one in which a is not present (called the _ group).

All statistics deal with _ and _.