Deck 14: Developing the Sampling Plan

Question 1

All of the following are probability sampling plans EXCEPT

A)quota.
B)area.
C)cluster.
D)simple random.
E)systematic.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

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D)The phone book is always outdated.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 these are problems when sampling from phone books.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The listing of elements from which you'll draw the sample is called the

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

Question 5

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.

Question 6

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 7

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

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

Question 8

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 9

Which of the following is NOT a nonprobability sampling technique?

A)Convenience sample
B)Simple random sample
C)Judgment sample
D)Snowball sample
E)Quota sample

Question 10

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)None of these are correct.
E)All of these are correct.

Question 11

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)take place at convenience stores and are nonprobability samples.
E)are nonprobability samples and are typically not representative of the entire population.

Question 12

Which of the following is a probability sample?

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

Question 13

The problem with using nonprobability samples include that

A)it's impossible to assess the degree of sampling error.
B)we can't say anything about what would have been true for the overall population.
C)we're stuck with sample statistics and don't know whether they apply to the population as a whole.
D)All of these are correct.
E)None of these are correct.

Question 14

Convenience samples are appropriate for use in which type of research?

A)Descriptive
B)Causal
C)Exploratory
D)All of these are correct.
E)Convenience samples are not appropriate for any type of research.

Question 15

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.

Question 16

In general,the simpler the definition of the target population

A)the greater the sampling error.
B)the easier it will be to find the sample.
C)the less costly it will be to find the sample.
D)the greater the sample error and the easier it will be to find the sample.
E)the easier and less costly it will be to find the sample.

Question 17

A complete canvass of a population is called a

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

Question 18

Which of the following are valid population elements?

A)People
B)Businesses
C)Financial transactions
D)All of these could be used as population elements.
E)None of these could be used as population elements.

Question 19

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 20

If your population is relatively small,it's a good idea to use which of the following?

A)Probability sample
B)Nonprobability sample
C)Census
D)All of these are correct.
E)a or b are correct.

Question 21

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 22

Judgment samples are best used for

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

Question 23

The sampling distribution of a statistic refers to the

A)range 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 24

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 these are true statements.

Question 25

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 she use?

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

Question 26

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 27

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 28

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 29

A problem with nonprobability samples is

A)they are always more representative than probability samples.
B)one cannot assess the amount of sampling error likely to occur.
C)there is no problem with using nonprobability samples
D)All of these are correct.
E)None of these are correct.

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

Snowball samples are an example of

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

Question 32

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 these are probability samples.

Question 33

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)Neither of these are correct.
D)Both of these are correct.

Question 34

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 at-tending,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 35

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 36

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 37

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 38

The distinguishing features of a simple random sample are that

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)None of these are correct.
E)All of these are correct.

Question 39

The type of sampling plan where the specific sampling elements are left to the discretion of the researcher is

A)quota.
B)simple random.
C)systematic.
D)cluster.
E)None of these are correct.

Question 40

Judgement samples are appropriate

A)in the early stages of research when ideas or insights are being sought.
B)when the researcher realizes the limitations of judgment samples.
C)when it is the only way to develop a sample of people who meet specific criteria that don't occur frequently and/or cannot easily be observed.
D)All of these are correct.
E)Judgement samples are never appropriate.

Question 41

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 42

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

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

Question 43

The differences between a cluster sample and a stratified sample are that 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 these are correct.

Question 44

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 these are correct.
E)None of these are correct.

Question 45

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 46

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 47

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 these are correct.

Question 48

Which sampling plan takes advantage of the fact that,all else equal,smaller samples are required to estimate a population parameter if there is little variation on the characteristic in the group being sampled?

A)Area
B)Stratified
C)Snowball
D)Simple random
E)Quota

Question 49

The range within which to population parameter is likely to fall in the population based on the sample statistic is known as the

A)confidence frame.
B)sampling interval.
C)confidence interval.
D)sampling frame.
E)parameter interval.

Question 50

Which of the following factors affect the size of a sample needed when working with a probabilistic sample?

A)The amount of diversity or variation of the parameter in question within the population
B)How precise the estimate must be
C)The degree of confidence you'd like to have
D)All of these are correct.
E)None of these are correct.

Question 51

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)None of these are correct.
E)close in value as possible within each strata and far apart in value as possible between any two strata.

Question 52

Which of the following are advantages of stratified over simple random 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)Takes advantage of homogeneity within groups
E)All of these are correct.

Question 53

To determine the necessary sample size,you need to know how

A)homogeneous or similar the population is on the characteristic to be estimated.
B)much precision is needed in the estimate.
C)confident you need to be that the true value falls within the precision range you've established.
D)All of these are correct.
E)None of these are correct.

Question 54

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 55

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 56

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 these are correct.

Question 57

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 58

With a probability sampling plan

A)every population element has some chance of being included in the sample.
B)there is a random component in how population elements are selected for the sample.
C)we can make inferences to the larger population based on the results from the sample.
D)we can estimate the likely amount of sampling error.
E)All of these are correct.

Question 59

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 60

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 61

If we were to ask college students,"To what extent do they value a college degree?",which type of sample plan would be most appropriate?

A)Any probability sampling plan would be useful.
B)A stratified sample because we would expect the answers to vary by strata: freshmen,sophomore,junior,and senior.
C)A cluster sample because we would expect the answers to vary by cluster: freshmen,sophomore,junior,and senior.
D)An area sample because we would expect the answers to vary by area: freshmen,sophomore,junior,and senior.
E)None of these would be appropriate.In fact,it would be best to use a nonprobability sampling technique.

Question 62

If you decided to interview members of your class with regard to issues relating to the university and college life,you would have selected the ____ as a means of sampling members of the total population.

A)simple random sample
B)stratified random sample
C)cluster (area)sample
D)convenience sample
E)quota sample

Question 63

If a local newspaper reporter tries to gather information about perceptions of a proposed comprehensive "senior exit exam" by interviewing officers from the university's student senate (because they are well informed about the feelings of the general student body),what type of sampling procedure is he using?

A)Simple random sample
B)Systematic sample
C)Judgment sample
D)Convenience sample
E)Quota sample

Question 64

In a one-stage area sample of 10 blocks from a population of 100 blocks,the probability of any household being included in the sample is

A)0.10.
B)0.01.
C)1.10.
D)100%.
E)Cannot be determined with information given in the question

Question 65

Using probability sampling,Sam collected data on the number of dogs owned in each household in the Houston area.He analyzed his data and determined that 1.3 dogs are owned in each household.He might conclude from this information that there is a probability that at least one dog is owned by every household in Texas.Sam used ____ to draw this conclusion.

A)statistical inference
B)intuition
C)crystal ball inference
D)intention processing
E)perceptual mapping

Question 66

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 67

If you have five friends who tell you they all have had a great experience with their purchase of a Chevrolet and you used this evidence to decide to buy a Chevrolet,you would be using

A)consumer self-report and evaluation.
B)statistics.
C)inference.
D)independent judgment.
E)None of these are correct.

Question 68

Jane Doe wants to administer a short survey on "student driving habits" to a representative sample of students at the local university.She secured a list of students from the student directory.She as-signed each student a unique number and then used a random number table to select her sample.Jane Doe is most likely using a

A)quota sample technique.
B)probability sampling technique.
C)cluster sample technique.
D)statistical inference.
E)judgment sampling technique.

Question 69

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 70

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)In cluster sampling,the parent population is broken into mutually exclusive and exhaustive sub-groups 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 these statements are false.

Question 71

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 are correct.
E)None of these are correct.

Question 72

If you enter a shopping mall and notice a researcher handing out surveys to everyone asking their opinion about a possible increase in state sales tax rates,what type of sampling procedure is being used?

A)Convenience sample
B)Implied sample
C)Simple random sample
D)Systematic sample
E)Quota sample

Question 73

Area sampling is a form of

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

Question 74

The primary advantage of area sampling plans is

A)area sampling data is easy to tabulate and analyse.
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 75

In practice,simple random sampling should be strongly considered

A)if the population is small and can be numbered easily.
B)in telephone surveys where random digit dialing programs may be used to generate numbers.
C)when population units are stored in an electronic file allowing computer programs to randomly select the sample.
D)All of these are situations that allow for the practical application of simple random sampling.
E)None of the situations allow the practical application of simple random sampling.

Question 76

If a newspaper editor asks a reporter to interview thirty males and thirty females from each of three geographical areas of a particular city for a prospective story,what type of sampling procedure is being used?

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

Question 77

The PGA conducts a study in which they use a simple random sample of 600 golfers.They examine the data from the sample and calculate that 28% of them own golf clubs made in the USA.The 28% is the

A)average handicap of these golfers.
B)sample statistic.
C)population mean for all golfers.
D)population parameter.
E)None of these are correct.

Question 78

A researcher divides the city of Flint,Michigan,into 500 blocks of 10 households each.She requires a sample of 400 households.She selects a sample by randomly selecting 100 blocks and randomly selecting 4 households per block.This is an example of ____.

A)systematic sampling
B)two-stage area sampling
C)probability-proportional-to-size sampling
D)one-stage area sampling
E)sequential sampling

Question 79

A market researcher divides the Dallas metropolitan area into blocks having roughly equal populations.He then selects a random sample of blocks and sends interviewers to each block.The inter-viewers are instructed to interview every eighth dwelling unit.This is ____ sampling.

A)one-stage area
B)two-stage area
C)quota
D)two-stage systematic
E)stratified

Question 80

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