Deck 6: Section 2: Sampling

Question 1

The standard error is a valuable piece of information because it indicates how closely the sample estimates will be distributed around the population parameter. A larger standard
Error indicates _____, while a smaller standard error means that estimates are more clustered around a population parameter.

A) sample estimates are more clustered
B) sample estimates are sporadic
C) sample estimates are widely dispersed
D) sample estimates are widely available

Answer 1

C
Explanation:
A. This is an incorrect answer because the standard error is a valuable piece of information because it indicates how closely the sample estimates will be distributed around the population parameter. A larger standard indicates sample estimates are widely dispersed while a smaller standard error means that estimates are more clustered around a population parameter. The standard error is also a function of the sample size-an inverse function. This means that as the sample size increases, the standard error decreases.
B. This is an incorrect answer because the standard error is a valuable piece of information because it indicates how closely the sample estimates will be distributed around the population parameter. A larger standard indicates sample estimates are widely dispersed while a smaller standard error means that estimates are more clustered around a population parameter. The standard error is also a function of the sample size-an inverse function. This means that as the sample size increases, the standard error decreases.
C. The correct answer is "C" because the standard error is a valuable piece of information because it indicates how closely the sample estimates will be distributed around the population parameter. A larger standard indicates sample estimates are widely dispersed while a smaller standard error means that estimates are more clustered around a population parameter. The standard error is also a function of the sample size-an inverse function. This means that as the sample size increases, the standard error decreases.
D. This is an incorrect answer because the standard error is a valuable piece of information because it indicates how closely the sample estimates will be distributed around the population parameter. A larger standard indicates sample estimates are widely dispersed while a smaller standard error means that estimates are more clustered around a population parameter. The standard error is also a function of the sample size-an inverse function. This means that as the sample size increases, the standard error decreases.

Question 2

Simple random sampling forms the basis of probability theory and the statistical tools used to estimate population parameters, standard error, and confidence intervals. Such statistics assume unbiased sampling, and simple random sampling is the foundation of _____.

A) unbiased sampling
B) unbiased sampling
C) unbiased sampling
D) unbiased sampling

Answer 2

A
Explanation:
A. The correct answer is "A" because simple random sampling forms the basis of probability theory and the statistical tools used to estimate population parameters, standard error, and confidence intervals. Such statistics assume unbiased sampling, and simple random sampling is the foundation of unbiased sampling.
B. This is an incorrect answer because simple random sampling forms the basis of probability theory and the statistical tools used to estimate population parameters, standard error, and confidence intervals. Such statistics assume unbiased sampling, and simple random sampling is the foundation of unbiased sampling.
C. This is an incorrect answer because simple random sampling forms the basis of probability theory and the statistical tools used to estimate population parameters, standard error, and confidence intervals. Such statistics assume unbiased sampling, and simple random sampling is the foundation of unbiased sampling.
D. This is an incorrect answer because simple random sampling forms the basis of probability theory and the statistical tools used to estimate population parameters, standard error, and confidence intervals. Such statistics assume unbiased sampling, and simple random sampling is the foundation of unbiased sampling.

Question 3

A population is the theoretically specified grouping of study elements. For example, a vague term delinquents might describe the target for a study, a more precise description of the population includes the definition of the element delinquents for example, a person charged with a delinquent offense), the _____ for the study charged with a delinquent offense in the previous six months), and often a particular area.

A) offense referent
B) person referent
C) place referent
D) time referent

Answer 3

D
Explanation:
A. This is an incorrect answer because a specific population should describe the total number of persons to be studied charged with the offense during a certain time limit and a certain area.
B. This is an incorrect answer because a specific population should describe the total number of persons to be studied charged with the offense during a certain time limit and a certain area.
C. This is an incorrect answer because a specific population should describe the total number of persons to be studied charged with the offense during a certain time limit and a certain area.
D. The correct answer is "D" because This is an incorrect answer because a specific population should describe the total number of persons to be studied charged with the offense during a certain time limit and a certain area.

Question 4

Sampling in general refers to selecting part of a population. In selecting samples, a researcher wants to do two related things. First, researcher selects samples to represent some larger population of people or other things. Second, the researcher may want to generalize from a sample to an unobserved population the sample is intended to represent.

Question 5

Probability sampling techniques enable us to make relatively few observations and then generalize from those observations to a much wider population. For example, if a researcher is interested in what proportion of high school students have used marijuana, collecting data from a _____ of a few thousand students will serve just as well as trying to study every high school student in the country.

A) nonprobability sample
B) convenience sample
C) probability sample
D) observed sample

Question 6

Random selection permits the researcher to link findings from a _____ so as to estimate the accuracy of those findings. All statements of accuracy in sampling must specify both a confidence level and a confidence interval.

A) sample to the body of population
B) sample to the body of probability theory
C) sample to the body of non-probability theory
D) population to the body of probability theory

Question 7

With the inferences and estimations a researcher is able to estimate a population parameter and the expected degree of error on the basis of one sample drawn from a population. The logic of confidence levels and confidence intervals provides the basis for determining the _____ for a study. Once we decide on the sampling error we can tolerate, we can calculate the number of cases needed in our Sample.

A) appropriate sample size
B) appropriate population size
C) appropriate number of variables
D) appropriate number of measures

Question 8

A population is the theoretically specified grouping of study elements. Whereas the vague term delinquents might describe the target for a study, a more precise description of the population includes the definition of the element delinquents.

Question 9

Snowball Sampling is another type of nonprobability sampling that closely resembles the available-subjects approach. Snowball sampling is commonly used in field observation studies or specialized interviewing. It begins by identifying a single subject or small number of subjects and then asking the subjects) to _____.
)

A) identify other places he/she has visited
B) identify other techniques used
C) identify other criminals he/she knows
D) identify others like him or her

Question 10

A basic principle of probability sampling is that a sample will be representative of the population from which it is selected if all members of the population have an equal chance of being selected in the sample. Samples that have this quality are often labeled equal probability of selection method EPSEM) samples. Even carefully selected EPSEM samples are _____ of the populations from which they are drawn.

A) not always representative of the sample
B) not always perfectly representative
C) not always perfectly representative
D) not always perfectly representative of the student population

Question 11

Probability theory allows a researcher to draw _____ around the value found in a larger population. With a basic understanding of the logic of probability sampling a researcher can examine how probability sampling works in practice.

A) inferences about how sampled data are designed
B) inferences about how sampled data are arranged
C) inferences about how sampled data are selected
D) inferences about how sampled data are distributed

Question 12

Probability sampling helps researchers generalize from observed cases to any observed ones.

Question 13

A sampling frame is the list or quasi-list of elements from which a probability sample is selected. It is a sampling frame is a list or quasi-list of target population. It is a "quasi-list" because, even though an actual list might not exist, samples can be drawn as if there were a list. Properly drawn samples provide information appropriate for describing the _____ that compose the sampling frame.

A) population of elements
B) sample of elements
C) probability theory of elements
D) non probability population of elements

Question 14

Although probability sampling is central to criminal justice research, _____. A variety of nonprobability sampling techniques are available in such cases. Nonprobability sampling has its own logic and can provide useful samples for criminal justice inquiry. However, one of the most important goals of all sampling is to reduce, or at least understand, the potential biases that may be at work in selecting subjects.

A) it cannot be used in many situations of interest
B) it can be used in all situations of interest
C) it can always be used in many situations of interest convenience sample
D) it cannot be overlooked in any of the situations

Question 15

A sample is _____ from which it is selected if the aggregate characteristics of the sample closely approximate those same aggregate characteristics in the population. For example, if the population, percent contains 50 women, a representative sample will also contain 50 percent or very close to 50 percent women.

A) representative of the sample
B) representative of the population and sample
C) representative of the population of interest
D) representative of the student population

Question 16

A basic principle of probability sampling is that a sample will not be representative of the population from which it is selected if all members of the population have an equal chance of being selected in the sample. Samples that have this quality are often labeled equal probability of selection method EPSEM) samples.

Question 17

A sample element is that unit about which information is collected and that provides the basis of analysis. Typically, in survey research, elements are people or certain types of people.

Question 18

An important portion of criminal justice research involves estimating population
Parameters on the basis of sample observations. The summary description of a given variable in the sample is called a sample statistic. Sample statistics are used to make _____ parameters.

A) estimates of population
B) estimates of sample and population
C) estimates of variables
D) estimates of measurement

Question 19

Sampling is ordinarily used to select observations for one of two related reasons. First, it is often not possible to collect information from all persons or other units we wish to study. For example, we may wish to know what proportion of all persons arrested in U.S. cities have recently used drugs, but collecting all that data would be virtually impossible. Thus, we select a _____.

A) few interviewers representing a sample
B) few observations representing sample
C) population of observations representing sample
D) sample of observations representing population*.