Question 1

The cases or observations selected in nonprobability sampling may provide a basis for statistical inference.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

A stratified random sample reduces error when

Accepted Answer

A)  an equal number of cases is drawn from each stratum. 
B)  the stratifying variable is related to the variable under study. 
C)  the differences between strata are relatively small. 
D)  the number of cases in each stratum of the sample is proportionate to the number of cases in the population.

Question 3

You need a sample of twenty-five students to interview for a study of attitudes toward intercollegiate athletics, and so you interview the first twenty-five students to enter the campus center on a Monday morning. What kind of sample is this?

Accepted Answer

A)  convenience sample 
B)  purposive sample 
C)  snowball sample 
D)  simple random sample

Question 4

Systematic sampling is the most basic sampling design and is found in the more complex designs such as stratified sampling.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

To calculate the margin of error of a sample estimate, you must know all but which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  size of the sample 
B)  standard error of the sampling distribution 
C)  the population value 
D)  desired level of confidence in the margin of error

Question 6

Network sampling and snowball sampling are recommended when

Accepted Answer

A)  sampling a target population that comprises a very small subgroup of a larger population. 
B)  probability sampling is necessary. 
C)  studying past events. 
D)  studying very small populations with fewer than two hundred cases.

Question 7

Which of the following principles applies to probability sampling?

Accepted Answer

A)  The larger the population, the larger the standard error. 
B)  The larger the population, the larger the sample necessary for a given margin of error. 
C)  The larger the sample, the smaller the standard error.

Question 8

Suppose a student doing a telephone survey for the campus newspaper asks you, "How big a sample do I need to get accurate results?" Which of the following would be the best advice you could offer?

Accepted Answer

A)  The number of cases should be at least 25 percent of the population. 
B)  Only samples of 3,000 or more yield truly accurate results. 
C)  That depends on the number of students at the college. The proportion of the population sampled is more important than the absolute size of the sample. 
D)  Accuracy (in terms of error reduction) improves much more for increases in sample size between 100 and 1,000 than for increases in sample size between 2,000 and 3,000.

Question 9

Incomplete sampling frames generally result in random as opposed to systematic sampling error.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

If you used the campus directory to sample students on your campus, all students listed in the directory would be the sampling frame.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Suppose you are working with the vice squad in your city to conduct an interview study of female prostitutes. Which of the following sampling designs would be best to select your interviewees?

Accepted Answer

A)  simple random sampling 
B)  stratified random sampling 
C)  multistage cluster sampling 
D)  snowball sampling

Question 12

To study how satisfied Americans are with the electoral process, a social scientist conducts a mail questionnaire survey. First he obtains a list of all political precincts in the United States (which covers all areas of the United States) and randomly selects a number of precincts from this list. He then obtains a list of registered voters for each selected precinct, and from each list he selects a random sample of voters. Finally, he mails each selected voter a survey in which he asks questions about their satisfaction with the electoral process.
a. What type of sampling design is this?
b. There are two sampling frames. What are they?
c. Carefully evaluate the adequacy of each frame in terms of meeting the objective of the study-to assess Americans' satisfaction with the electoral process?

Accepted Answer

The answer of To study how satisfied Americans are with...

Question 13

Which of the following considerations is least important in determining sample size?

Accepted Answer

A)  heterogeneity of the population 
B)  degree of error tolerated in the sample estimate 
C)  cost per case 
D)  size of the population

Question 14

Which of the following nonprobability sampling designs most closely resembles stratified random sampling?

Accepted Answer

A)  convenience sampling 
B)  purposive sampling 
C)  quota sampling 
D)  snowball sampling

Question 15

If the researcher is unable to obtain a list of the population or members of the population cannot be identified easily, then he or she must use a

Accepted Answer

A)  very large sample. 
B)  representative sample. 
C)  probability sample. 
D)  nonprobability sample.

Question 16

Which type of sampling design uses probability proportionate to size sampling?

Accepted Answer

A)  simple random sampling 
B)  systematic sampling 
C)  stratified random sampling 
D)  multistage cluster sampling 
E)  purposive sampling

Question 17

When pollsters conduct telephone polls, they typically use random-digit dialing; however, some people refuse to cooperate and answer the questions, and others are not at home when called. This results (or may result) in

Accepted Answer

A)  coverage error due to an incomplete sampling frame. 
B)  an increase in random sampling error. 
C)  nonresponse error or sample bias. 
D)  measurement error.

Question 18

Random selection produces random sampling error.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Proportionate stratified sampling requires that the same number of cases be drawn from each stratum.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

In probability sampling, which of the following results in random sampling error?

Accepted Answer

A)  an incomplete sampling frame 
B)  refusals to cooperate 
C)  random selection 
D)  failures to contact sampled respondents

Exam 6: Sampling

The cases or observations selected in nonprobability sampling may provide a basis for statistical inference.

A stratified random sample reduces error when

You need a sample of twenty-five students to interview for a study of attitudes toward intercollegiate athletics, and so you interview the first twenty-five students to enter the campus center on a Monday morning. What kind of sample is this?

Systematic sampling is the most basic sampling design and is found in the more complex designs such as stratified sampling.

To calculate the margin of error of a sample estimate, you must know all but which one of the following?

Network sampling and snowball sampling are recommended when

Which of the following principles applies to probability sampling?

Suppose a student doing a telephone survey for the campus newspaper asks you, "How big a sample do I need to get accurate results?" Which of the following would be the best advice you could offer?

Incomplete sampling frames generally result in random as opposed to systematic sampling error.

If you used the campus directory to sample students on your campus, all students listed in the directory would be the sampling frame.

Suppose you are working with the vice squad in your city to conduct an interview study of female prostitutes. Which of the following sampling designs would be best to select your interviewees?

Which of the following considerations is least important in determining sample size?

Which of the following nonprobability sampling designs most closely resembles stratified random sampling?

If the researcher is unable to obtain a list of the population or members of the population cannot be identified easily, then he or she must use a

Which type of sampling design uses probability proportionate to size sampling?

When pollsters conduct telephone polls, they typically use random-digit dialing; however, some people refuse to cooperate and answer the questions, and others are not at home when called. This results (or may result) in

Random selection produces random sampling error.

Proportionate stratified sampling requires that the same number of cases be drawn from each stratum.

In probability sampling, which of the following results in random sampling error?