Deck 15: Developing the Sampling Plan

Question 1

Which of the following conclusions to the sentence is INCORRECT? "It is often preferable to sample rather than canvass a population because..."

A)complete counts of populations of even moderate size are very costly and time consuming.
B)the information will be obsolete by the time the census is complete.
C)in some cases a census is impossible.
D)a sample has less potential for nonsampling error.
E)statistical procedures cannot be used on population data.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

One of the major problems with mail surveys is nonresponse bias.In an effort to minimize this,a researcher decides to limit the sample to his personal friends from whom he is sure to get replies.This is an example of a

A)probability sample.
B)nonprobability sample.
C)random sample.
D)sequential sample.
E)quota sample.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Ten volunteers are requested from your class to test a new bicycle.Of these ten,two are selected at random for the actual tests.The sampling frame consists of

A)the students who were selected for the actual tests.
B)the students who volunteered.
C)all the students in the class.
D)the students who were not selected.
E)all the students in the school.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In order to define a population,the researcher needs to specify

A)the geographic boundaries of the population.
B)which elements are not of interest.
C)the time period for the study.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a problem with using a phone book for a sampling frame?

A)Unlisted phone numbers.
B)Not all homes have phones.
C)Double counting homes with multiple phone numbers.
D)The phone book is always outdated.
E)All of the above are problems when sampling from phone books.

Question 6

In probability samples,the probabilities of each element being included must be

A)known.
B)nonzero.
C)equal.
D)known and equal.
E)known and nonzero.

Question 7

All of the following are probability sampling plans EXCEPT

A)quota.
B)area.
C)cluster.
D)disproportionate stratified.
E)systematic.

Question 8

A researcher collects a small sample and finds that he does not have sufficient evidence to draw a conclusion.He then takes additional observations and finds this evidence inconclusive.He continues making observations until a conclusion can be drawn.He is using

A)random sampling.
B)fixed sampling.
C)sequential sampling.
D)the principle of diminishing utility.
E)nonprobability sampling.

Question 9

Convenience samples

A)take place at 7-11,Stop & Go or other convenience stores.
B)are nonprobability samples.
C)are typically not representative of the entire population.
D)Both a and b.
E)Both b and c.

Question 10

A complete canvass of a population is called a

A)sample.
B)census.
C)sampling frame.
D)population.
E)directory.

Question 11

The distinguishing feature of nonprobability sampling plans is that

A)they allow an assessment of sampling error.
B)they are not as representative of the population as probability samples.
C)they involve personal judgment somewhere in the selection of sample elements.
D)there is only one basic type of nonprobability sample while there are several types of probability samples.
E)they tend to be more expensive than probability samples.

Question 12

Samples are often used to infer something about a population rather than canvassing the population itself because they are typically

A)cheaper than complete counts.
B)faster than complete counts.
C)more accurate than complete counts.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 13

If the number of elements to be sampled is not decided in advance,but determined by a series of decisions as the data are collected,the sample is

A)sequential.
B)quota.
C)accidental.
D)fixed.
E)None of the above are correct.

Question 14

In the context of sampling,incidence refers to

A)the percent of the general population that qualifies for inclusion in the sample.
B)a method of probability sampling.
C)the percent of the sample that exhibits the characteristic(s)under investigation.
D)a method of nonprobability sampling.
E)the percentage of elements in the sampling frame having the characteristic.

Question 15

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

A)A low incidence means that a high percentage of the general population of interest qualifies for inclusion in the study.
B)A low incidence means that a low percentage of the general population is expected to respond to the study.
C)A low incidence means that a low percentage of the general population qualifies for inclusion in the study.
D)A low incidence means that a low percentage of the general population will participate in the study.
E)None of the above are true statements.

Question 16

Which of the following is a probability sample?

A)Quota sample
B)Convenience sample
C)Cluster sample
D)Judgment sample
E)Snowball sample

Question 17

While giving guidelines to her field interviewing staff,a researcher states,"I want you to interview every tenth customer entering a K-Mart store at the following key sites." This is an example of ____ sampling.

A)judgment
B)quota
C)sequential
D)systematic
E)convenience

Question 18

Judgment samples are distinguished by the fact that

A)those entering the sample happen to be where the study is being done when it is being done.
B)the proportion of those possessing a given characteristic is balanced against the proportion of the population possessing the characteristic.
C)each field worker is allowed to judge whether any given respondent would be a good representative of the population.
D)the sample elements are hand picked by the investigator because it is expected they can offer the contributions sought.
E)they are superior to other forms of sampling for descriptive studies.

Question 19

A ____ allows trends in the data to be evaluated as the data are being collected.

A)fixed sample
B)sequential sample
C)probability sample
D)nonprobability sample
E)random sample

Question 20

A sampling frame

A)is a list of population elements from which the sample will be drawn.
B)is the list of population elements actually included in the sample.
C)usually provides biased statistics.
D)is a form of probability sampling.
E)is a form of nonprobability sampling.

Question 21

Which of the following is TRUE?

A)A sampling distribution is the probability distribution of elements from a particular sample.
B)The "standard error of the mean" is the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of sample means.
C)The sampling distribution of the mean is another name for the frequency distribution that results from a single sample.
D)The sampling distribution of the mean is another name for the distribution of means corresponding to the samples that could be drawn under the specified sampling plan.
E)Both b and d.

Question 22

Population variance is

A)an unbiased estimator of sample variance.
B)equivalent to the standard error of the mean.
C)always unknown when using probability sampling.
D)a measure of the spread of values from their mean.
E)always known when using probability sampling.

Question 23

Which of the following regarding probability samples is FALSE?

A)Evaluation of the precision of a sample result is important to most researchers and therefore they seek to use probability samples whenever possible.
B)In general,probability sampling requires personnel who are more skilled and experienced than nonprobability sampling.
C)Probability samples will usually cost substantially more than a nonprobability sample of the same size on a per observation basis.
D)One real advantage that probability samples have over nonprobability samples is their greater economic efficiency.
E)Elements of the sample are selected objectively.

Question 24

Which of the following statements is INCORRECT with respect to a quota sample?

A)It is relatively easy to verify whether the sample is representative.
B)Field workers' personal judgments govern the choice of sample members.
C)The quotas per field worker usually mirror the distribution of characteristics in the population.
D)Quota samples are an example of nonprobability sampling.
E)Both a and c.

Question 25

Which of the following is TRUE?

A)The controls for a quota sample are usually chosen on the basis that (1)they are believed to be correlated with the characteristic to be studied,and (2)reasonably up-to-date information on their distribution within the population is available.
B)To validate a quota sample,various characteristics of the sample are compared to known population values.If the differences in these characteristics are small in the comparison,this constitutes proof that the sample corresponds to the population.
C)Quota sampling is the most common kind of probability sampling used in marketing research.
D)Quota sampling is the only nonprobability sampling method that provides some measure of the sampling error associated with the sample estimate.
E)Quota sampling is acceptable for causal research.

Question 26

Snowball samples are an example of

A)convenience sampling.
B)judgment sampling.
C)quota sampling.
D)simple random sampling.
E)stratified sampling.

Question 27

Which of the following statements does NOT describe a probability sample?

A)Some members of the population have a zero chance of being included in the sample.
B)Each member of the population has a known chance of being included in the sample.
C)Each member may not have an equal chance of being included in the sample.
D)A member's probability of inclusion is determined by the specific,procedure that is used to select sample elements.
E)The concept of sampling distribution is crucial.

Question 28

A parameter represents

A)the geographical boundary of a population.
B)certain characteristics of a random sample.
C)fixed characteristics of a population.
D)fixed characteristics of a nonprobability sample.
E)an unbiased estimator of the population mean.

Question 29

Judgment samples are best used for

A)causal research.
B)exploratory research.
C)hypothesis testing.
D)descriptive research.
E)experimental designs.

Question 30

A derived population refers to

A)estimates of population parameters derived from nonprobability sampling plans.
B)the best samples that can be drawn from a population using multiple sampling schemes.
C)the sample drawn from the parent population using a simple random sampling plan.
D)a division of the parent population made to reduce the parent population to manageable size.
E)all the possible samples that can be drawn from the parent population using a given sampling plan.

Question 31

Quota samples are typically selected so that the distribution of a characteristic in the sample matches the distribution of that same characteristic in the population.With respect to the representativeness of quota samples,it can thus be said that

A)a quota sample may be very far off the mark with respect to other important characteristics likely to influence the result but which were not used as controls when selecting the sample.
B)the fact that the distribution of the characteristic in the sample parallels the distribution in the population does not guarantee that the sample is representative.
C)the quota assigned each field worker should exactly mirror the distribution of the control characteristic in the population.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 32

A researcher wants to interview members of the junior class in a local high school that are interested in attending the local university in order to investigate their attitudes concerning the university's admissions policy.Although the researcher suspects that many of the juniors are interested in attending,the researcher cannot get a list of juniors but only has the names of the three students that have expressed their interest by writing to the admissions office.What sampling procedure should the researcher use to assemble a sample of adequate size?

A)Simple random sampling
B)Referred sampling
C)Snowball sampling
D)Convenience sampling
E)Quota sampling

Question 33

The distinguishing features of a simple random sample are

A)each population element has a known chance of being selected.
B)each population element has an equal chance of being selected.
C)every combination of n population elements is a sample possibility.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 34

The distinguishing feature of probability samples is that

A)they involve personal judgment somewhere in the selection of sample elements.
B)each population element has an equal chance of being included in the sample.
C)each population element has an equal chance of being included in the sample and every combination of n population elements is a sample possibility.
D)each population element has a known chance of being included in the sample.
E)they will always be more representative of the population than nonprobability samples.

Question 35

A sample where the respondent provides the names of other potential respondents is called a(n)

A)judgment sample.
B)snowball sample.
C)quota sample.
D)accidental sample.
E)probability sample.

Question 36

A researcher wants to study the effects of social class on consumption behavior.He establishes three different categories of social class in terms of amount of income.He then assigns each field worker a specified number of interviews with people in each income category although the interviewers are allowed to select who they interview.This is an example of

A)probability sampling.
B)stratified sampling.
C)systematic sampling.
D)quota sampling.
E)random sampling.

Question 37

A problem with nonprobability samples is

A)they are always more representative than nonprobability samples.
B)one cannot assess the amount of sampling error likely to occur.
C)there is no problem with using nonprobability samples
D)Both a and b.
E)None of the above.

Question 38

A(n)____ statistic is one whose ____ value from all possible distinguishable samples under the sampling plan is equal to the parameter it estimates.

A)biased,median
B)efficient,average
C)unbiased,mean
D)sample,biased
E)unbiased,extreme

Question 39

A researcher wants to be able to assess the amount of "sampling error" associated with an estimate.Which of the following sampling methods would you recommend he use?

A)Convenience
B)Quota
C)Nonprobability
D)Probability
E)Judgment

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT a probability sample?

A)Simple random sample
B)Stratified sample
C)Cluster sample
D)Judgment sample
E)All of the above are probability samples.

Question 41

For simple random sampling,the mean of all possible sample means is equal to the population mean when which of the following conditions is true.Choose the best possible answer.

A)Sampling is with replacement.
B)Sampling is without replacement.
C)Sampling is from an infinite population.
D)Sampling is from a finite population.
E)Sampling is with or without replacement and from an infinite or finite population.

Question 42

The sampling distribution of a statistic refers to the

A)distribution of all possible sample values of the statistic that could be drawn from the parent population under the specified sampling plan.
B)distribution of the variable in the parent population.
C)distribution of the variable in a particular sample.
D)spread of the variable in the parent population.
E)unbiased nature of most sample statistics.

Question 43

The advantages of stratified over simple random sampling include stratified sampling

A)ensures adequate representation from each stratum of interest.
B)can produce more precise sample statistics.
C)allows for the comparison of variables between strata.
D)Both b and c.
E)All of the above.

Question 44

In order to use a table of random numbers to draw a simple random sample,the researcher must

A)serially number the sample elements.
B)specify the parent population distribution.
C)calculate the population variance.
D)serially number the population elements.
E)assume that the central-limit theorem holds for the population in question.

Question 45

With a normal distribution,we know that approximately

A)95% of all observations will fall within one standard deviation of the mean.
B)99% of all observations will fall within one standard deviation of the mean.
C)95% of all observations will fall within two standard deviations of the mean.
D)99% of all observations will fall within two standard deviations of the mean.
E)95% of all observations will fall within three standard deviations of the mean.

Question 46

The interesting thing about confidence intervals established employing stratified sampling is that

A)The within-strata variability does not enter into the calculation of the standard error of estimate.
B)The between-strata variability does not enter into the calculation of the standard error of estimate.
C)Neither the within-strata variability nor the between-strata variability enters into the calculation of the standard error of estimate.
D)The confidence interval is wider than that established employing simple random sampling.
E)The sample mean provides a biased estimate of the population mean.

Question 47

Which of the following is FALSE with regard to stratified sampling?

A)A stratified random sample is drawn by dividing the parent population into mutually exclusive and exhaustive subsets and by then taking a random sample of these subsets.
B)The basic rule by which we stratify suggests the resulting strata should be as homogeneous as possible.
C)When sampling from a population that is highly skewed,a stratified sample generally provides the most representative sample.
D)A market researcher needs information about parts of the population,as well as the total population.He should therefore plan on using a stratified random sample.
E)Stratified samples are more statistically efficient than simple random samples.

Question 48

Under which of the following conditions can the population mean be estimated without error employing a stratified sample?

A)When the population is partitioned so that the number of elements in each stratum is proportional to size of the sample to be taken from each stratum.
B)When the population is partitioned so that the elements in each stratum are equal.
C)When the population is partitioned in such a way that the variances within strata are equal.
D)When the population is partitioned so that the elements in each stratum are normally distributed.
E)None of the above.

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT TRUE for simple random sampling?

A)Each element has a known chance of being selected.
B)Each element has a non-zero chance of being selected.
C)Each element has an equal chance of being selected.
D)Each combination of n population elements has an equal chance of being selected.
E)All of the above are true statements.

Question 50

In a stratified sample with five strata,each comprising 1/5 of the population,the sample mean for each stratum will receive what weight when calculating the overall sample mean?

A)1.20
B)0.20
C)0.15
D)1.00
E)Cannot be determined with information given in the question.

Question 51

A researcher wishes to sample from a population in which two important segments make up less than 2% of the population,but wishes to develop confidence intervals describing their behaviors.Which type of sampling is most appropriate?

A)Stratified sampling
B)Convenience sampling
C)Systematic sampling
D)Simple random sampling
E)Judgment sampling

Question 52

Which of the following is needed before a confidence interval can be established for a population mean?

A)A confidence level
B)A point estimate of the population mean
C)An estimate of the sampling error associated with the sample mean
D)All of the above.
E)Both a and b.

Question 53

The differences between a cluster sample and a stratified sample are in a

A)cluster sample,the parent population is divided into mutually exclusive and exhaustive subsets.
B)stratified sample,the parent population is divided into mutually exclusive and exhaustive subsets.
C)stratified sample,a simple random sample of elements is chosen independently from each group or subset,while in a cluster sample,a random sample of the subsets is selected.
D)cluster sample,a simple random sample of elements is chosen independently from each group or subset,while in a stratified sample,a random sample of the subsets is selected.
E)None of the above.

Question 54

The standard error of the estimate of the statistic in question

A)is equal to the square of the variance of the estimate.
B)measures the variability that exists between strata.
C)corresponds to the population mean.
D)is used when comparing statistical efficiency.
E)cannot be calculated from a stratified sample.

Question 55

In essence,the Central-Limit Theorem holds that

A)if the sample is large enough,the distribution of sample means will be normal.
B)if the sample is large enough,all sample means will fall within one standard deviation of the population mean.
C)when the variable of interest is normally distributed within the population,the sample mean will be normally distributed.
D)the sample variance will be equal to the population variance if the sample size is large enough.
E)sample sizes larger than n=2 will insure that the distribution of sample means will be normal.

Question 56

Suppose a researcher has constructed a 95 percent confidence interval using the formula, .The interval means that

A)there is a 95% probability that the population mean is within the established interval.
B)95% of the sample values lie within the established interval.
C)95% of the population values lie within the established interval.
D)95% of the intervals constructed employing this sampling procedure would contain the true population mean and this interval is hopefully one of those 95 out of 100.
E)95% of the possible sample means lie within this interval.

Question 57

A researcher divides the population of the purchasers of Brand X into heavy and light users.He then chooses a random sample independently from each group.This is an example of ____ sampling.

A)nonprobability
B)random
C)judgmental
D)stratified
E)quota

Question 58

The essential difference between a confidence interval constructed employing a stratified sample and that constructed employing a simple random sample is that with the stratified sample

A)a point estimate of the population mean is not required.
B)determination of the estimate of the mean and standard error of estimate involves the use of weights.
C)the strata results are appropriately weighted by a method of curvilinear estimation.
D)inferences are drawn on the basis of the known population mean and variance.
E)the researcher does not need to specify the degree of confidence.

Question 59

Which of the following is TRUE?

A)When sampling from a population that is highly skewed,a cluster sample generally provides the most representative sample.
B)Stratified sampling is a very useful sampling technique.It allows closer examination of the characteristics of particular subgroups.It also lowers the chance of error by ensuring that subgroups are adequately represented in the sample.However,this method generally produces less precise estimates of population values than simple random samples.
C)In calculating the standard error of the mean when using a stratified sample,one finds that differences among strata means do not enter the estimate.
D)When using proportional allocation in stratified random sampling,one samples from each of the strata in proportion to their respective variabilities.
E)The sampling distribution of means for stratified sampling is generally less concentrated than that obtained from simple random sampling.

Question 60

The feature that distinguishes stratified sampling from other forms of probability sampling is that only stratified samples

A)involve partitioning the parent population into mutually exclusive and exhaustive subsets.
B)allow the a priori determination of the probability that any population element will be included in the sample.
C)make the probability of selection of any population element equal.
D)involve partitioning the parent population into mutually exclusive and exhaustive subsets and selecting a simple random sample from each subset.
E)None of the above.

Question 61

One feature that distinguishes stratified samples from quota samples is that with stratified sampling elements are selected ____ while with quota sampling elements are selected ____.

A)statistically,deterministically
B)probabilistically,judgmentally
C)judgmentally,probabilistically
D)probabilistically,randomly
E)empirically,deterministically

Question 62

Which of the following types of probability samples does not require a complete list of population elements by name in order to draw the sample?

A)Stratified sample
B)Systematic sample
C)Simple random sample
D)Cluster sample
E)Quota sample

Question 63

When using area sampling,a researcher should seek a balance between statistical efficiency,which suggests ____,and economic considerations,which suggest ____.

A)the need for accuracy,that benefits be considered
B)a small number of areas be used,few areas be used
C)a large number of areas be used,few areas be used
D)that a small sample size can be used to predict accurately,possible losses due to faulty predictions can be costly
E)that a large number of areas be used,a large number of observations within each area be collected

Question 64

A stratified sample where the strata are sampled based upon their size and variability is a ____ sample.

A)disproportionate
B)proportionate
C)cluster
D)probability
E)random

Question 65

The criteria that need to be balanced when choosing a disproportionate stratified sample are

A)strata size.
B)strata heterogeneity.
C)strata variances on the variable of interest.
D)Both a and b.
E)a,b,and c.

Question 66

To develop a representative,systematic sample of personal income,the population census

A)should be ordered at random.
B)should be ordered from high to low income.
C)should be ordered from low to high income.
D)Either b or c is correct.
E)None of the above.

Question 67

The distinguishing feature of cluster samples in comparison to other probability sampling plans is that cluster samples

A)provide each population element with an equal chance of being included in the sample.
B)provide each population element with a known chance of being included in the sample.
C)involve the partitioning of the parent population into mutually exclusive and exhaustive subsets.
D)involve the partitioning of the parent population into mutually exclusive and exhaustive subsets and the probabilistic selection of elements from each subset.
E)utilize the probabilistic selection of groups rather than elements.

Question 68

Statistical efficiency is

A)a measure of the overall efficiency of a sampling plan.
B)determined by comparing the standard error of estimate produced by two different sampling plans with equal sample size.
C)the ease with which sample statistics can be calculated.
D)a measure of the confidence placed in the estimates of population parameters produced from a particular sample.
E)only useful in comparing different types of cluster samples.

Question 69

The primary advantage of area sampling plans is

A)area sampling data is easy to tabulate and analyze.
B)they don't require probability-based methods of element selection.
C)results can be generalized from one area to another without loss of statistical efficiency.
D)they don't require a list of elements from the population of interest.
E)the results are more understandable for the general public than other,more complex plans.

Question 70

Interviewers are told to select a fixed number of men and a fixed number of women from certain city blocks,although the choice of which men and which women is left up to them.This is a

A)simple random sample.
B)quota sample.
C)stratified sample.
D)cluster sample.
E)probability sample.

Question 71

One goal of stratified sampling plans is to decrease the amount of variability in each stratum.This can be accomplished by

A)making the strata internally heterogeneous.
B)increasing the amount of sampling error.
C)decreasing the magnitude of the overall sample mean.
D)making the strata internally homogeneous.
E)using a 99% confidence level instead of a 95% confidence level.

Question 72

When stratifying the population,the characteristics should be as

A)close in value as possible within each strata.
B)far apart in value as possible between any two strata.
C)far apart in value as possible within each strata.
D)Both b and c.
E)Both a and b.

Question 73

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)In cluster sampling,the parent population is broken into mutually exclusive and exhaustive subgroups and a simple random sample is selected from each subgroup.
B)Cluster samples are most statistically efficient when the clusters are internally homogeneous.
C)In order to yield high statistical efficiency,each cluster in a cluster sample should include as many diverse universe values as possible.
D)One of the main advantages of cluster sampling over simple random sampling is its greater statistical efficiency for the same size sample.
E)All of the above statements are false.

Question 74

A researcher is seeking a representative sample (of size n=50)of Fortune magazine's list of the 500 largest industrial corporations.She randomly decides to begin at company number 4 and then select every 10th company until 50 have been selected.The researcher is using what type of sampling plan?

A)Simple random sampling
B)Judgment sampling
C)Systematic sampling
D)Stratified sampling
E)Convenience sampling

Question 75

One indication of homogeneity within strata is the

A)size of the stratum's sample mean.
B)size of the overall sample mean.
C)number of elements within each stratum.
D)weights used to calculate the overall variance of estimate.
E)size of the standard error of estimate by stratum.

Question 76

Which of the following is TRUE?

A)In cluster sampling,the parent population is broken into mutually exclusive and exhaustive subgroups and a simple random sample is selected from each subgroup.
B)Cluster samples are most statistically efficient when the clusters are internally homogeneous.
C)In order to yield high statistical efficiency,each cluster in a cluster sample should include as many diverse population values as possible.
D)One of the main advantages of cluster sampling over simple random sampling is its greater statistical efficiency for the same size sample.
E)Cluster samples are more costly than stratified samples for the same sample size.

Question 77

Based on the selection of a random number,every sixth block in a city in which the blocks are numbered from 1 to 960 is to be surveyed by contacting each household.This sample is

A)area.
B)systematic.
C)one-stage.
D)a,b,and c.
E)None of the above.

Question 78

With proportionate stratified sampling,the number of elements selected from each stratum

A)is in direct proportion to the relative number of elements in each stratum in the population.
B)is in direct proportion to the relative variability of the characteristic in each stratum in the population.
C)varies directly with the heterogeneity of each stratum.
D)varies directly with the homogeneity of each stratum.
E)None of the above.

Question 79

Systematic sampling is a form of

A)cluster sampling.
B)stratified sampling.
C)quota sampling.
D)convenience sampling.
E)simple random sampling.

Question 80

You know that consumers with high incomes show a much greater variability in their consumption of a given good than those with low incomes.What type of sample would produce the most efficient estimate of the average consumption per individual?

A)Simple random sample
B)Disproportionate stratified sample
C)Proportionate stratified sample
D)Quota sample
E)Systematic sample