Question 1

Which of the following best describes a parameter in statistics?

Accepted Answer

A numerical description of a population characteristic.

Question 2

A researcher surveys 200 college students to estimate the average number of hours all college students spend studying per week. Which of the following is the sample?

Accepted Answer

The 200 college students surveyed.

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of inferential statistics?

Accepted Answer

Using data from a sample of 1,000 U.S. adults to estimate the percentage of all U.S. adults who do not use the internet.

Question 4

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics?

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics summarize and display data; inferential statistics use sample data to make predictions about a population.

Question 5

A study reports that 25% of all 11–17-year-olds have a social media profile. This value is best described as:

Accepted Answer

A parameter.

Question 6

Suppose a survey of 500 high school students found an average of 5.1 hours per day engaged in leisure and sports activities. What is the population in this context?

Accepted Answer

All high school students.

Question 7

Which of the following best defines statistics as a field of study?

Accepted Answer

The science of collecting, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data in order to make decisions.

Question 8

A random check of several hundred retail stores found that 14% of the stores were not storing fish at the proper temperature. Which of the following is a statistic?

Accepted Answer

14% of the stores checked were not storing fish at the proper temperature.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a branch of statistics?

Accepted Answer

Experimental statistics.

Question 10

A study of 1,000 U.S. 401(k) retirement plan participants found that the percentage who do not know how many years their retirement savings might last is 12%. If this result is used to estimate the percentage for all U.S. 401(k) participants, which branch of statistics is being used?

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics.

Question 11

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the use of a sample to make an inference about a population?

Accepted Answer

Surveying 300 randomly selected voters to predict the outcome of a national election.

Question 12

If $$\mu$$ represents the average age of all people in the United States, what type of value is $$\mu$$?

Accepted Answer

$$\mu is a $$parameter.

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of data?

Accepted Answer

The heights of 50 randomly selected students.

Question 14

A university wants to know the average SAT score of all its freshmen. They collect data from 100 randomly selected freshmen and find an average SAT score of 514. Which of the following is a statistic?

Accepted Answer

The average SAT score of 514 from the 100 freshmen.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the difference between a population and a sample?

Accepted Answer

A population includes all members of a group, while a sample is a subset of the population.

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of descriptive statistics?

Accepted Answer

Summarizing the test scores of a class using a frequency table.

Question 17

A study finds that 18% of adults from households earning less than $30,000 annually do not use the internet. If this percentage is based on a survey of 1,502 U.S. adults, what is the 18% value?

Accepted Answer

A statistic.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a function of statistics?

Accepted Answer

Proving hypotheses with absolute certainty.

Question 19

In a study, the average age of people from a sample of three states is calculated. This value is:

Accepted Answer

A statistic.

Question 20

Which of the following best describes inferential statistics?

Accepted Answer

Using sample data to draw conclusions about a population.

Introduction to Statistics: Key Concepts and Applications

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