Exam 8: Comparison Values, Contrast Sizes, and Standards

The normal rate of a resting heart lies between 60 and 100 beats per minute. A heart rate of 100 beats per minute could be taken as a benchmark for a normal heart rate.

Historically, the fourth quarter sales of a retail chain contributed 40% of annual sales. What term could be used to describe this phenomenon?

What is the primary purpose of most research studies?

How would you define the term "contrast size" used in research terminology?

In case of a dichotomous categorical variable, such as presence or absence of a risk factor among people analyzed in a study, the presence of the risk factor could be taken as the comparison category.

Explain, using an example, the difference between a reference value and a reference category.

Using an example, discuss internal and external standards in the context of a research study.

Each of the following statements give the factors that affect a comparison of values of a variable. Which statement is correct?

A fast-food chain historically has spikes in the number of hires during the months of March, June, and November. How would you describe this phenomenon? How would you compare the current year's hiring compared to historical data of the chain?

List the criteria for comparing values of an independent variable. Provide an example to explain one of the criteria.

Which of the following is often undertaken by researchers when a 1-unit change is too big or too small of a contrast for a numeric independent variable?

What does the term "risk factor" refer to, in the context of research? Select the best answer.

The number of days required to complete a free online course in American History by registered students is analyzed by the university offering the course. The top 25th percentile of the number of days is compared to the bottom 25th percentile. What type of contrast would you term this comparison?

A study compared the mean homeowner insurance claims recorded for those with credit scores above 700 to those with scores within other four credit score ranges defined by the study. What is the term given to the range of scores above 700?

In your own words, describe what is a benchmark and how it is used in a research study.

A research study analyzes the number of insurance claims made by policyholders of age 25 years to those policyholders of age 45 years. What can you say about the contrast size of this study?

Describe, in general, how you would approach the process of identifying a comparison group or value for a categorical variable versus a continuous variable. Are there any differences in the process between the two types of variables?

The specifications to identify a defective part in the production of a particular machine part was revised on February 2, 2016. A study on quality standards of this machine part was undertaken in 2020, with data collected from 2012 to 2020. What could be said about the type of study in this case? What recommendations would you give in conducting the study?

What does the term "temporal comparison" mean?

What does the term purchasing power parity (PPP) mean?