Question 1

Which of the following best describes the science of statistics?

Accepted Answer

The study of collecting, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data to make decisions.

Question 2

A researcher surveys 1,000 college students about their study habits. The group of all college students in the world is called the:

Accepted Answer

Population

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a parameter?

Accepted Answer

The average height of all students in a university.

Question 4

A study reports that 44% of 300 surveyed Wall Street analysts incorrectly forecasted high-tech earnings. What is the sample in this study?

Accepted Answer

The 300 surveyed Wall Street analysts

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of qualitative data?

Accepted Answer

Eye color

Question 6

Which level of measurement allows for meaningful differences between data values, but does NOT have a true zero?

Accepted Answer

Interval

Question 7

A researcher divides a population into groups based on income level and randomly selects some individuals from each group. What sampling technique is this?

Accepted Answer

Stratified sampling

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of an observational study?

Accepted Answer

Measuring the amount of time people spend on social media without influencing their behavior.

Question 9

In an experiment, what is the purpose of a control group?

Accepted Answer

To provide a baseline for comparison with the treatment group

Question 10

Which of the following best describes the placebo effect?

Accepted Answer

Subjects respond favorably to a fake treatment, believing it is real.

Question 11

A researcher selects every 10th person from a list of 1,000 employees. What type of sampling is this?

Accepted Answer

Systematic sampling

Question 12

Which of the following is a potential problem with using a convenience sample?

Accepted Answer

It may not be representative of the population.

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of data at the ordinal level of measurement?

Accepted Answer

Ranking movies as excellent, good, fair, or poor.

Question 14

A study uses a mathematical model to simulate the effects of a new drug on the human body. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A simulation

Question 15

Which of the following statements about descriptive and inferential statistics is correct?

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics summarize data; inferential statistics draw conclusions about populations.

Question 16

A researcher pairs subjects by age and then randomly assigns one from each pair to a treatment group and the other to a control group. What experimental design is this?

Accepted Answer

Matched-pairs design

Question 17

Which of the following is a key element of a well-designed experiment?

Accepted Answer

Control, randomization, and replication

Question 18

If a researcher cannot distinguish between the effects of two different factors on a variable, this is known as:

Accepted Answer

Confounding

Question 19

Which of the following data sets is at the ratio level of measurement?

Accepted Answer

Monthly precipitation in inches

Question 20

A census differs from a sample in that a census:

Accepted Answer

Includes every member of the population.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Statistics – Structured Study Notes

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards