Exam 3: Measurements, Mistakes, and Misunderstandings

Which of the following is not an example of a discrete variable?

The U.S.Government regularly reports the unemployment rate.Which of the following is included in the U.S.government's definition of what it means for a person to be unemployed?

Explain why even the simplest kind of measurement, such as finding your height, still presents complicated issues.

Give three reasons why variability across measurements can occur.

If you used a 12-inch ruler to measure the distance across a large pond, which of the following aspects of a good measurement would you be violating?

If a survey is __________ then the researcher cannot possibly attach your name to your survey results.

What is measurement error?

What is the most common method for trying to measure attitudes and emotions?

A good measurement has to be well __________ in order to give accurate and reliable data.

A (an) __________question is one in which the respondents are given a list of alternatives from which to choose their answer.

Explain why it is so difficult to measure the amount of stress in someone's life from a statistical standpoint.

Why do IQ tests continue to be surrounded by controversy as a measure of intelligence?

__________ variables are those for which we can record a numerical value and then order the respondents according to those values.

A survey question that starts out with the phrase "Do you agree that..." is an example of what?

Explain why the ordering of questions on a survey can create bias in the resulting data.

Suppose you want to set up a survey involving only closed questions.Why is it important to first conduct a pilot survey involving open questions?

If you weighed yourself using a bathroom scale that always reads five pounds under the actual weight, which of the following aspects of a good measurement would you be violating?

Which of the following is not one of the pitfalls that can cause problems when asking questions in a survey or experiment?

Political pollsters, who are only interested in surveying people who will actually vote, learned long ago that to determine whether or not someone is a likely voter, it is useless to simply ask them if they plan to vote.Explain why.

Name two of the pitfalls listed in your textbook that you have to watch out for when asking questions in a survey or experiment.