Question 1

What does it mean for a sample to be representative?

Accepted Answer

A)  The sample is very large. 
B)  The sample has a low probability of being random. 
C)  The sample reproduces the important characteristics of the population. 
D)  The sample has no standard error. 
A)  The sample is very large. 
B)  The sample has a low probability of being random. 
C)  The sample reproduces the important characteristics of the population. 
D)  The sample has no standard error. C

Question 2

When is the sampling distribution of sample means normal?

Accepted Answer

A)  whenever the variable is normal in the population, regardless of sample size 
B)  whenever the sample is skewed, but only if the sample size is greater than n =10 
C)  whenever the mean is equal to the standard deviation but sample size is less than n =50 
D)  The shape of the sampling distribution can never be known. 
A)  whenever the variable is normal in the population, regardless of sample size 
B)  whenever the sample is skewed, but only if the sample size is greater than n =10 
C)  whenever the mean is equal to the standard deviation but sample size is less than n =50 
D)  The shape of the sampling distribution can never be known. A

Question 3

Which of these terms is synonymous with the standard error of the mean?

Accepted Answer

A)  the variance of a sample 
B)  the standard deviation of a sample 
C)  the standard deviation of a population 
D)  the standard deviation of a sampling distribution 
A)  the variance of a sample 
B)  the standard deviation of a sample 
C)  the standard deviation of a population 
D)  the standard deviation of a sampling distribution D

Question 4

Which set of symbols represents the standard deviation of the sampling distribution?

Accepted Answer

A)    
B)    
C)    
D)    
A)    
B)    
C)    
D)

Question 5

Explain the purpose of inferential statistics. Include in your answer the concepts and definitions of sample, population, statistic, parameter, representativeness, and the principle of EPSEM.

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics allow us to learn

Question 6

Which of the following is a required characteristic of a sample if it is to be used to make accurate generalizations to a population?

Accepted Answer

A)  The sample must be very large. 
B)  The sample must be representative. 
C)  The sample must be nonprobability. 
D)  The sample must be stratified. 
A)  The sample must be very large. 
B)  The sample must be representative. 
C)  The sample must be nonprobability. 
D)  The sample must be stratified.

Question 7

The average number of monthly sales made by employees of an insurance company is 13.5. The standard deviation is 4. What would be the standard error for a sample of size 64?

Accepted Answer

A)  0.25 
B)  0.50 
C)  1 
D)  3.38 
A)  0.25 
B)  0.50 
C)  1 
D)  3.38

Question 8

Which of the following is a common reason that researchers often use samples to test a theory?

Accepted Answer

A)  Populations are often not representative of all the relevant cases needed to test a theory. 
B)  Actual data can be gathered only from samples; populations are merely theoretical. 
C)  It is often not feasible to collect data from every case in the population. 
D)  Populations are often too small to accurately test a theory. 
A)  Populations are often not representative of all the relevant cases needed to test a theory. 
B)  Actual data can be gathered only from samples; populations are merely theoretical. 
C)  It is often not feasible to collect data from every case in the population. 
D)  Populations are often too small to accurately test a theory.

Question 9

In most practical research scenarios, which of the following pieces of information would a researcher be most able to provide?

Accepted Answer

A)  the standard deviation for the population 
B)  the mean of the sampling distribution 
C)  the mean of the sample 
D)  the standard error 
A)  the standard deviation for the population 
B)  the mean of the sampling distribution 
C)  the mean of the sample 
D)  the standard error

Question 10

Which of these statements will be the result when a sampling distribution is compared to a population distribution?

Accepted Answer

A)  The two distributions will always be the same. 
B)  The two distributions will become identical as the size of the sample increases. 
C)  There will always be more variance in the population distribution. 
D)  There will always be more variance in the sampling distribution. 
A)  The two distributions will always be the same. 
B)  The two distributions will become identical as the size of the sample increases. 
C)  There will always be more variance in the population distribution. 
D)  There will always be more variance in the sampling distribution.

Question 11

Suppose we wish to study Canadian newspaper content published in the Globe and Mail from 1980 to the present, and we deem a sample of 50 articles to be adequate for our research purposes. Which of the following would best represent the sampling distribution relevant for our research project?

Accepted Answer

A)  a single sample that fulfilled the EPSEM requirements 
B)  50 samples of size 50 drawn from the full archive of articles published from 1980 to the present 
C)  50 × 50 = 2,500 samples of size 50 drawn from the full archive of articles published from 1980 to the present 
D)  every possible combination of 50 articles from the full archive of articles published from 1980 to the present 
A)  a single sample that fulfilled the EPSEM requirements 
B)  50 samples of size 50 drawn from the full archive of articles published from 1980 to the present 
C)  50 × 50 = 2,500 samples of size 50 drawn from the full archive of articles published from 1980 to the present 
D)  every possible combination of 50 articles from the full archive of articles published from 1980 to the present

Question 12

The mean age of Canadian MPs is 52.7 years. What is the mean of the sampling distribution, assuming a normal distribution of age in the population?

Accepted Answer

A)  within 1 standard error of 52.7 
B)  within 2 standard errors of 52.7 
C)  within 3 standard errors of 52.7 
D)  52.7 
A)  within 1 standard error of 52.7 
B)  within 2 standard errors of 52.7 
C)  within 3 standard errors of 52.7 
D)  52.7

Question 13

Social scientists study many different populations, but what is a major complication they often face?

Accepted Answer

A)  Populations are often too large to study. 
B)  Populations are often not representative. 
C)  Samples are often too large to study. 
D)  Sampling distributions are often not random. 
A)  Populations are often too large to study. 
B)  Populations are often not representative. 
C)  Samples are often too large to study. 
D)  Sampling distributions are often not random.

Question 14

Which of the following is the best example of an EPSEM sample?

Accepted Answer

A)  assigning the students of mid-size introductory biology class random numbers, arranging the numbers in order, then selecting every fifth student 
B)  identifying every house located on a street corner within Ottawa's city limits and selecting all homes on the south-eastern quadrant of the street corners 
C)  selecting the three largest cities from a Canadian province and inviting each resident to join a research project 
D)  standing on the street corner and asking every other passerby to participate in a survey study 
A)  assigning the students of mid-size introductory biology class random numbers, arranging the numbers in order, then selecting every fifth student 
B)  identifying every house located on a street corner within Ottawa's city limits and selecting all homes on the south-eastern quadrant of the street corners 
C)  selecting the three largest cities from a Canadian province and inviting each resident to join a research project 
D)  standing on the street corner and asking every other passerby to participate in a survey study

Question 15

Which is the most basic EPSEM sampling technique?

Accepted Answer

A)  a convenience sample 
B)  a simple random sample 
C)  a systematic sample 
D)  a stratified sample 
A)  a convenience sample 
B)  a simple random sample 
C)  a systematic sample 
D)  a stratified sample

Question 16

Researchers drew a random sample of 5,000 Scottish school teachers. Which of these variables' sampling distributions are unlikely to be normal?

Accepted Answer

A)  years worked 
B)  pension savings 
C)  number of siblings 
D)  Assuming the sample is random, no sampling distribution is unlikely to be normal. 
A)  years worked 
B)  pension savings 
C)  number of siblings 
D)  Assuming the sample is random, no sampling distribution is unlikely to be normal.

Question 17

Which of these pairs describes things a researcher needs in order to select a simple random sample?

Accepted Answer

A)  a parameter and a distribution 
B)  a sampling distribution and a table of random numbers 
C)  a list of the sample, and a well-developed sampling distribution 
D)  a list of the population, and a system for selecting cases according to EPSEM 
A)  a parameter and a distribution 
B)  a sampling distribution and a table of random numbers 
C)  a list of the sample, and a well-developed sampling distribution 
D)  a list of the population, and a system for selecting cases according to EPSEM

Question 18

A researcher gathers a random sample of 110 Canadian adults. Which sample value could NOT be observed in the sampling distribution of sample means if the mean income of Canadians is $58,355?

Accepted Answer

A)  mean income $9,440 
B)  mean income $40,000 
C)  mean income $330,00 
D)  No sample means are impossible to observe in the sampling distribution. 
A)  mean income $9,440 
B)  mean income $40,000 
C)  mean income $330,00 
D)  No sample means are impossible to observe in the sampling distribution.

Question 19

The average age for a population of doctors in a hospital is 51.6 years. What does this mean value represent?

Accepted Answer

A)  a statistic 
B)  a parameter 
C)  a sample 
D)  a standard error 
A)  a statistic 
B)  a parameter 
C)  a sample 
D)  a standard error

Question 20

A calculus instructor wished to understand whether students in her 180-person class enjoyed her lecture style. She decided to conduct an interview of 25 students to gain some insight into this question. She wanted to ensure that her sample followed the principles of EPSEM. Describe how she might obtain an EPSEM sample, and explain whether or not this sample would be representative of the class.

Accepted Answer

The simplest way for the teacher to foll

What does it mean for a sample to be representative?

When is the sampling distribution of sample means normal?

Which of these terms is synonymous with the standard error of the mean?

Which set of symbols represents the standard deviation of the sampling distribution?

Explain the purpose of inferential statistics. Include in your answer the concepts and definitions of sample, population, statistic, parameter, representativeness, and the principle of EPSEM.

Which of the following is a required characteristic of a sample if it is to be used to make accurate generalizations to a population?

The average number of monthly sales made by employees of an insurance company is 13.5. The standard deviation is 4. What would be the standard error for a sample of size 64?

Which of the following is a common reason that researchers often use samples to test a theory?

In most practical research scenarios, which of the following pieces of information would a researcher be most able to provide?

Which of these statements will be the result when a sampling distribution is compared to a population distribution?

Suppose we wish to study Canadian newspaper content published in the Globe and Mail from 1980 to the present, and we deem a sample of 50 articles to be adequate for our research purposes. Which of the following would best represent the sampling distribution relevant for our research project?

The mean age of Canadian MPs is 52.7 years. What is the mean of the sampling distribution, assuming a normal distribution of age in the population?

Social scientists study many different populations, but what is a major complication they often face?

Which of the following is the best example of an EPSEM sample?

Which is the most basic EPSEM sampling technique?

Researchers drew a random sample of 5,000 Scottish school teachers. Which of these variables' sampling distributions are unlikely to be normal?

Which of these pairs describes things a researcher needs in order to select a simple random sample?

A researcher gathers a random sample of 110 Canadian adults. Which sample value could NOT be observed in the sampling distribution of sample means if the mean income of Canadians is $58,355?

The average age for a population of doctors in a hospital is 51.6 years. What does this mean value represent?

Introduction

Basic Descriptive Statistics: Percentages, Ratios and Rates, Tables, Charts, and Graphs

Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion

The Normal Curve

Estimation Procedures for Sample Means and Proportions

Hypothesis Testing With Nominal and Ordinal Variables: CHI Square

Measures of Association for Variables Measured at the Nominal Level

Measures of Association for Variables Measured at the Ordinal Level

Hypothesis Testing With Means and Proportions: The One-Sample Case

Hypothesis Testing With Means and Proportions: The Two-Sample Case

Hypothesis Testing With More Than Two Means: One-Way Analysis of Variance

Hypothesis Testing and Measures of Association for Variables Measured at the Interval-Ratio Level

Partial Correlation and Multiple Regression and Correlation

Filters

Exam 5: Introduction to Inferential Statistics: Sampling and the Sampling Distribution

What does it mean for a sample to be representative?

When is the sampling distribution of sample means normal?

Which of these terms is synonymous with the standard error of the mean?

Which set of symbols represents the standard deviation of the sampling distribution?

Explain the purpose of inferential statistics. Include in your answer the concepts and definitions of sample, population, statistic, parameter, representativeness, and the principle of EPSEM.

Which of the following is a required characteristic of a sample if it is to be used to make accurate generalizations to a population?

The average number of monthly sales made by employees of an insurance company is 13.5. The standard deviation is 4. What would be the standard error for a sample of size 64?

Which of the following is a common reason that researchers often use samples to test a theory?

In most practical research scenarios, which of the following pieces of information would a researcher be most able to provide?

Which of these statements will be the result when a sampling distribution is compared to a population distribution?

Suppose we wish to study Canadian newspaper content published in the Globe and Mail from 1980 to the present, and we deem a sample of 50 articles to be adequate for our research purposes. Which of the following would best represent the sampling distribution relevant for our research project?

The mean age of Canadian MPs is 52.7 years. What is the mean of the sampling distribution, assuming a normal distribution of age in the population?

Social scientists study many different populations, but what is a major complication they often face?

Which of the following is the best example of an EPSEM sample?

Which is the most basic EPSEM sampling technique?

Researchers drew a random sample of 5,000 Scottish school teachers. Which of these variables' sampling distributions are unlikely to be normal?

Which of these pairs describes things a researcher needs in order to select a simple random sample?

A researcher gathers a random sample of 110 Canadian adults. Which sample value could NOT be observed in the sampling distribution of sample means if the mean income of Canadians is $58,355?

The average age for a population of doctors in a hospital is 51.6 years. What does this mean value represent?

Introduction

Basic Descriptive Statistics: Percentages, Ratios and Rates, Tables, Charts, and Graphs

Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion

The Normal Curve

Estimation Procedures for Sample Means and Proportions

Hypothesis Testing With Nominal and Ordinal Variables: CHI Square

Measures of Association for Variables Measured at the Nominal Level

Measures of Association for Variables Measured at the Ordinal Level

Hypothesis Testing With Means and Proportions: The One-Sample Case

Hypothesis Testing With Means and Proportions: The Two-Sample Case

Hypothesis Testing With More Than Two Means: One-Way Analysis of Variance

Hypothesis Testing and Measures of Association for Variables Measured at the Interval-Ratio Level

Partial Correlation and Multiple Regression and Correlation

Filters