Question 1

Which of the following best describes the difference between a parameter and a statistic?

Accepted Answer

A parameter is a numerical summary of a population, while a statistic is a numerical summary of a sample.

Question 2

A researcher wants to estimate the average commute time for all employees at a large company. She randomly selects 50 employees and calculates their average commute time. Which of the following is the population?

Accepted Answer

All employees at the company.

Question 3

Which of the following variables is best classified as qualitative?

Accepted Answer

Favorite type of cuisine

Question 4

A variable that can take on any value within a given range and can be measured to any desired level of accuracy is called:

Accepted Answer

A continuous variable

Question 5

Which level of measurement allows for meaningful ratios and has a true zero?

Accepted Answer

Ratio

Question 6

A study follows a group of individuals over 20 years to observe the development of heart disease. What type of observational study is this?

Accepted Answer

Cohort study

Question 7

Which of the following best describes a systematic sample?

Accepted Answer

Selecting every kth individual from the population after a random start.

Question 8

A researcher divides a city into neighborhoods and randomly selects 10 neighborhoods. She then surveys every household in those neighborhoods. What sampling method is this?

Accepted Answer

Cluster sampling

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of response bias?

Accepted Answer

Respondents giving answers they think are socially acceptable rather than their true opinions

Question 10

In a double-blind experiment, who is unaware of the treatment assignments?

Accepted Answer

Both the subjects and the researchers in contact with them

Question 11

A study matches students by IQ and gender, then randomly assigns one from each pair to listen to music while studying and the other to study in silence. What experimental design is this?

Accepted Answer

Matched-pairs design

Question 12

Which of the following is a source of sampling bias?

Accepted Answer

Surveying only people who attend a specific event

Question 13

Suppose a researcher wants to compare the effectiveness of three fertilizers on plant growth. She randomly assigns 20 plants to each fertilizer group and measures the yield at the end of the season. What is the response variable?

Accepted Answer

Plant yield

Question 14

Which of the following best describes a stratified sample?

Accepted Answer

Dividing the population into homogeneous groups and randomly sampling from each group

Question 15

A survey asks respondents to report their income, but some respondents exaggerate their income. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Response bias

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a well-designed experiment?

Accepted Answer

Convenience sampling of subjects

Question 17

If a variable is measured on a scale where differences have meaning but there is no true zero, what is the level of measurement?

Accepted Answer

Interval

Question 18

A researcher wants to know if a new teaching method improves test scores. She randomly assigns students to either the new method or the traditional method and compares their scores. What type of study is this?

Accepted Answer

Designed experiment

Question 19

Which formula would you use to determine the kth individual in systematic sampling if the population size is $$N$$ and the sample size is $$n$$?

Accepted Answer

$$k = N / n$$

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of a discrete variable?

Accepted Answer

The number of cars in a parking lot

Chapter 1: Data Collection – Structured Study Notes for Statistics

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards