Deck 8: Sampling

Question 1

The purpose of sampling is to select a set of elements from a population in such a way that the descriptions of the sample statistics accurately portray the parameters of the population. This is best achieved through use of:

A) a convenience sample
B) random selection
C) the sampling element
D) stratified sampling

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A basic principle of probability sampling is that a sample will be representative of the population from which it is drawn if:

A) all members of the population have an equal chance of being selected for the sample
B) the researcher uses a method of selection based upon convenience
C) every "nth" person is selected for the sample
D) all are principles of probability sampling

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Sampling is the process of:

A) selecting observations
B) determining values
C) hypothesis testing
D) generating data

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following is not a reason for using random selection methods in selecting samples?

A) random selection is a check on conscious or unconscious bias
B) random selection gives access to probability theory
C) random selection allows for estimates of error
D) random selection allows for privacy

Question 5

Which of the following is not appropriate for use as a sampling frame?

A) telephone directories when you wish to sample attitudes toward a new law
B) lists of licensed drivers when you wish to ask juveniles their opinions about drinking prohibitions
C) taxpayer rolls when the researcher is interested in public concerns about school appropriations in their community
D) AMA membership lists to survey doctors about their attitudes concerning HMO's

Question 6

The goal of sampling is to reduce potential biases.

Question 7

Sampling is used for two reasons, sometimes it is not necessary to collect data from all persons and it:

A) is possible to collect data from all persons
B) is statistically significant
C) is often not possible to collect information from all persons
D) makes research more valid

Question 8

Nonprobability sampling cannot be used in criminal justice research.

Question 9

A good way to avoid sampling bias in the assessment of public opinion about a specific criminal justice topic is to employ the use of a radio call-in show since those who call radio talk shows represent everyone in the population.

Question 10

Confidence levels allow the researcher to have some idea of how closely their samples reflect the parameter. Which of the following statements about confidence levels is not true?

A) if a simple random sample is used, probability theory suggests that researchers can be 68 percent sure the estimates of that sample fall within one standard error of the parameter
B) if a simple random sample is used, probability theory suggests that researchers can be 95 percent sure that estimates of that sample fall within two standard errors of the parameter
C) if a simple random sample is used, probability theory suggests that researchers can almost positive (99+ percent) that estimates of that sample fall within three standard errors of the true value
D) if a simple random sample is used, probability theory allows the researcher to know with certainty that they have accurate data

Question 11

When using probability sampling, researchers generalize from observed cases to unobserved ones.

Question 12

Sampling is often used when it is not possible to collect information from all persons you want to study and when it is not necessary to collect information from all persons.

Question 13

Random selection permits the researcher to link findings from a sample to the body of probability theory in order to estimate the accuracy of those findings.

Question 14

A list of all elements in a population is referred to as the sampling frame.

Question 15

Which of the following statements is true concerning the relationship between standard error and sample size?

A) there is a positive relationship
B) there is an inverse relationship
C) as sample size decreases, the standard error decreases
D) as sample size increases, the standard error increases

Question 16

When no reasonable sampling frame exists and a probability sample cannot be drawn, at least estimates about the sample accuracy are available through nonprobability samples.

Question 17

Cluster sampling is a very efficient tool, but the efficiency means a less accurate sample since with each cluster there is a chance for sampling error.

Question 18

Which of the following are not true concerning sampling error?

A) if many independent random samples are drawn from a population, then the sample statistics from those samples are distributed in a predictable way around the population parameter
B) probability theory allows us to use a formula to estimate how closely the sample statistics are clustered
C) the standard error identifies how spread out or clustered the sample statistics are around the population parameter
D) sampling error allows us to know if we selected the wrong subjects for our sample

Question 19

When a research chooses a sample that is not typical of a large population this is known as:

A) a cluster
B) probability
C) nonprobability
D) bias

Question 20

Stratified sampling results in a greater degree of representativeness but at the same time increases the probable sampling error.

Question 21

Which of the following is not an example of a multistage cluster sample?

A) the British Crime Survey
B) the National Crime Victimization Survey
C) Uniform Crime Reports
D) polling data during an election year

Question 22

In order to study active criminals who have not been arrested for their criminal acts, the researcher would be wise to employ which type of sampling technique?

A) purposive sampling
B) snowball sampling
C) convenience sampling
D) stratified random sampling

Question 23

Multistage cluster sampling with stratification, systematic sampling, simple random sampling and disproportionate stratified sampling are examples of:

A) nonprobability sampling
B) probability sampling
C) sampling distributions
D) sampling frames

Question 24

Which sampling method is commonly used to pretest a questionnaire?

A) stratification
B) quota
C) snowball
D) purposive

Question 25

Your criminal justice class requires a study of the success of your state's drug courts. The professor suggests that you first select 10 counties from your state. From those ten counties you will select the two largest cities from each. Finally the drug courts in each of the cities will be monitored to measure success. What type of sampling design did your professor suggest?

A) stratified sampling
B) multistage cluster sampling
C) multistage cluster sampling with stratification
D) judgmental sampling

Question 26

On the first day of the semester your introductory criminology instructor handed out a very long questionnaire asking things that you did not think was appropriate about your drinking habits. Back in the dorm you complained to your roommates and discovered that they were given the same questionnaire by their instructors. What sampling method was used?

A) snowball sample
B) multistage cluster sample
C) simple random sample
D) reliance on available subjects

Question 27

The true list of elements in the population is called the:

A) parameter
B) sampling frame
C) population
D) sample

Question 28

When researching a population where it is impossible or impractical to compile a list of the elements, what is the proper sampling technique to use?

A) stratified sample
B) systematic sample
C) cluster sample
D) simple random sample

Question 29

Which of the following is the best example of the use of judgmental sampling?

A) exit polls on election days
B) surveys of all police chiefs in America
C) interviews of female inmates in the Los Angeles County Jail
D) households participating in the National Crime Victimization Survey

Question 30

When considering probability sampling in general, it is usually the preferred method for selecting study elements because:

A) probability sampling avoids conscious biases on the part of the researcher
B) it does not permit the researcher to estimate the sampling error
C) it does not control unconscious biases in the selection process
D) nonprobability sampling is too difficult

Question 31

When a researcher uses probability sampling, he/she can:

A) never be sure that the sample reflects the population from which it was drawn
B) estimate the amount of sampling error that can be expected
C) never guarantee the population elements of a known nonzero probability of being selected for the sample
D) never be sure that the entire sampling frame was included

Question 32

Dwayne wanted to find out what the citizens of Canton think about a proposed law that would require sex offenders to be treated in the community in lieu of prison confinement and he decided to randomly call people listed in the phone book. What is his sampling frame?

A) the citizens of Canton
B) the proposed law
C) telephone listings
D) sex offenders

Question 33

Reporters from your local television news affiliate frequently ask people on a pedestrian shopping street during the lunch hour their opinions about criminal justice issues and play the responses on the 6:00 news. The reporters are using:

A) reliance on available subjects
B) probability sampling
C) stratified sampling
D) quota sampling

Question 34

Which of the following does not illustrate a population where cluster sampling would be the best choice?

A) law enforcement officers in the United States
B) citizens of Florida
C) probation officers in America
D) inmates in the Wayne County jail

Question 35

Which method begins with a matrix or table describing the characteristics of a target population?

A) probability
B) snowball
C) quota
D) simple random sampling

Question 36

Which of the following is accurate concerning the use of systematic sampling?

A) systematic sampling is a poor excuse for simple random sampling
B) systematic sampling is often used as a substitute for stratified sampling
C) systematic sampling is frequently used rather than a simple random sample
D) systematic sampling is always considered a nonprobability sampling technique

Question 37

Reliance on available subjects can be an appropriate sampling method if:

A) the researcher wants to study the characteristics of people who are passing the sample point at some specified time
B) collecting data from people what have all characteristics of a matrix
C) the researcher wants to do research on active criminals or deviants
D) the researcher only has a questionnaire to be completed

Question 38

Quota samples, judgmental samples, snowball samples and reliance on available subjects are all examples of:

A) nonprobability sampling
B) probability sampling
C) sampling distributions
D) sampling frames

Question 39

When a researcher uses a stratified sampling technique, they:

A) select elements from heterogeneous subsets of the population
B) recognize the extent that subsets are homogeneous on stratified variables will generally result in homogeneity on other variables as well
C) realize that a stratified sample is likely to be less representative on a number of variables than a simple random sample
D) recognize the extent that subsets are heterogeneous on stratified variables will generally result in heterogeneity on other variables as well

Question 40

The method of relying on available subjects is sometimes misleadingly called:

A) cluster sampling
B) convenience sampling
C) snowball sampling
D) quota sampling

Question 41

The unit about which information is gathered and forms the basis for analysis is known as a:

A) sampling element
B) unit of observation
C) sampling frame
D) sample

Question 42

If a researcher has a list of 10,000 elements, wants to sample 1,000, and selects every tenth element, she is using:

A) simple random sampling
B) cluster sampling
C) systematic sampling
D) Quota sampling

Question 43

You want to know why some states that have the death penalty as a punishment use it more than other states. In order to develop your design, you identify those states that have capital punishment and those that do not. Among those that do have capital punishment, you separate states by the following criteria: annual executions over the last 20 years; states with fewer than a certain number of annual executions over the last 20 years; and those states that have not executed in the last 20 years. What sampling method are you using?

A) convenience
B) quota
C) stratified
D) purposive

Question 44

If the variable that you are interested in studying is so rare that it is unlikely to be discovered using random sampling, what is the best alternative?

A) accidental sampling
B) quota sampling
C) stratified sampling
D) purposive sampling

Question 45

The way to remember the percentages of samples that will fall within one, two, and three standard errors of the parameter are the following:

A) 68-95-99
B) 50-50-50
C) 50-75-100
D) 50-70-90

Question 46

Sample statistics are used to:

A) ask questions
B) make estimates of population parameters
C) form a basis for analysis
D) theoretically specify grouping of study elements

Question 47

This is the range of sample statistics obtained when many samples are selected?

A) random numbers
B) sampling distribution
C) selection interval
D) quota

Question 48

A recent political poll showed that the findings reported were accurate to within 4 percentage points. This is likely to mean what?

A) the findings are only correct 4 percent of the time
B) the findings are only correct 8 percent of the time
C) the findings are accurate 95 times out of 100 and the confidence interval is plus or minus 4 points
D) the findings are accurate 68 times out of 100 and the confidence interval is plus or minus 4 points

Question 49

Under what conditions would it be appropriate to use a snowball sampling technique?

A) when the characteristic of interest to the study is a deviant one and only a small number of people who know one another are required
B) when your questionnaire can be administered in a narrow geographic area
C) when all you need to do is interview persons from a population where the sampling frame is known
D) when the researcher absolutely must have a sample that is representative of the population from which it is drawn

Question 50

If you do not have the sampling frame of your population but still want to use a probability sampling technique for statistical reasons, you should select what type of sample?

A) quota
B) snowball
C) cluster
D) stratified

Question 51

When a researcher uses a multistage cluster sampling technique they must repeat several sets including:

A) listing and stratifying
B) listing and counting
C) listing and sampling
D) listing and analyzing

Question 52

An RA at a local university devised a plan to spot check the dorm for illegal drinking by knocking on every 5 th door on each floor. What technique was the RA using?

A) stratified sampling
B) simple random sampling
C) quota sampling
D) systematic sampling

Question 53

The size of the sample and the standard error are related in which of the following ways?

A) the standard error is not related to the size of the sample
B) when the sample size increases, so does the standard error
C) when the sample size increases, the standard error decreases
D) when sample size decreases, the standard error decreases

Question 54

National Crime Victimization Survey and the British Crime Survey both use which of the following techniques to gather data?

A) simple random samples
B) stratified sampling
C) multistage cluster sampling
D) quota sampling

Question 55

With the use of stratified sampling, a researcher wants to reduce the:

A) sampling error
B) standard error
C) number of dependent variables
D) time it takes to draw a sample

Question 56

Following the model of London, England, Center City, USA, decided to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in a downtown park in hopes of reducing the public's fear of crime. Which technique would be the best choice to determine if fear has in fact decreased?

A) send out a questionnaire to all citizens living in Center City, USA
B) select, via simple random sampling, 20 citizens to interview
C) interview, via reliance on available subjects, citizens that are in the park
D) because you want to measure a "feeling," there is no accurate way to do this

Question 57

The bell-shaped curve is representative of:

A) standard deviations
B) standard error
C) the sampling distribution of a very large number of samples
D) sampling error

Question 58

Sampling is used because:

A) it may not possible to collect information from the entire population
B) it is necessary to collect information from the entire population
C) samples are useful tools only in experimental designs
D) it is easier, and you can guess whether your data reflects the larger population

Question 59

Which of the following is accurate?

A) the reason that researchers use probability samples is because they guarantee representativeness of the sample
B) in general, the more heterogeneous a population, the smaller the sample needed for representativeness
C) a simple random sample is appropriate when the researcher wants to over-represent a characteristic in the population
D) a sample is representative of the population from which it is drawn if the aggregate characteristics of the sample approximate those of the general population

Question 60

The value for a given variable in a population is a:

A) population parameter
B) sample element
C) sample statistic
D) equal probability of selection method

Question 61

Summary data describing a population is called a parameter while summary data describing a sample is called a ___________________.

Question 62

If a researcher has a population of college students from which a sample has been drawn and concludes that on average there are higher grades achieved by those students who live on campus than those who commute, higher grades is an example of what?

A) a sample element
B) a population parameter
C) a sample statistic
D) an unreliable result

Question 63

The sampling ___________________ is the range of sample statistics we would obtain if we selected many samples.

Question 64

Which of the following statements is not accurate with respect to standard error?

A) standard error is a function of the size of the sample
B) standard error indicates how closely the findings fit the sample
C) standard error tells how sample statistics are dispersed around the population parameter
D) standard error tells us that over one-third of all sample estimates will fall within one standard error above the population parameter

Question 65

A variable which has two attributes such as gender, is what type of variable?

A) sampling variable
B) binomial variable
C) sampling frame
D) representative variable

Question 66

The use of ___________________ sampling helps the researchers generalize to a larger population.

Question 67

What is the relationship between sampling error and sample size?

A) there is no relationship between sampling error and the size of the sample
B) sampling error relates to the confidence interval, not the sample size
C) sampling error will let us know the size of the sample once we decide upon how much error the study can tolerate
D) all are relationships

Question 68

Which of the following is not accurate with respect to probability sampling?

A) enhances the likelihood that the results reflect the population from which the sample was drawn
B) probability sampling offers a way to measure the degree of success in accomplishing a representative sample
C) randomization is the key to probability sampling
D) it helps draw a sample but makes generalization to other populations more difficult

Question 69

When each element of a population has an equal chance of selection to the sample, this process is known as ___________________ selection.

Question 70

You are doing research on inmates leaving your state's prison system during the calendar year 2006 with respect to their living arrangements upon release. It is assumed that inmates living with their families will have lower recidivism rates; therefore what sampling technique would do best to obtain a representative sample?

A) simple random sample
B) quota sample
C) stratified sample
D) snowball sample

Question 71

In probability theory, the standard ___________________ indicates how closely the sample estimates will be distributed around the population parameter.

Question 72

When a sample closely reflects the population in terms of aggregate characteristics, the sample is said to be ___________________ of the population.

Question 73

Which of the following is not a probability sample characteristic?

A) probability samples are never perfectly representative
B) probability samples are usually more representative than other sampling techniques
C) probability sampling lets us estimate the accuracy of the sample
D) probability sampling is always representative of the population.

Question 74

Which of the following is not a concern about bias when selecting a sample?

A) selecting a sample based upon convenience
B) using probability statistics for drawing a sample
C) drawing a sample on a first come, first serve basis
D) the researcher's personal bias

Question 75

When the researcher can list each element of a population, that list is known as the sampling ______________________.

Question 76

Estimates of population parameters, standard error, and confidence intervals assume unbiased sampling. The foundation of unbiased sampling is the ___________________ random sample.

Question 77

What factors are not accounted for when using probability sampling?

A) each member of the populations has a known chance of being selected
B) knowing that each member of the population has a chance of being selected allows the researcher to generalize back to the population
C) there is less need to be careful in the sample selection when the population is homogenous
D) when the population is homogeneous, there is a greater need to use probability sampling than when the population is heterogeneous

Question 78

Which of the following are true with respect to representativeness?

A) a sample represents a population's if it is exactly the same on all relevant variables
B) a sample is representative if it approximates the population
C) a sample needs to be representative of the population on all variables
D) a representative sample is only obtained when a simple random sample is used

Question 79

The unit about which information is collected and that provides the basis of analysis is called the sampling ______________________.

Question 80

The correspondence between a target population and sampling frames affects the ___________________ of the samples.