Collecting Data & Experimental Design

Kristen is investigating the opinions of students at her high school on the new school hours proposed by the school board. Which of the following is her population of interest?

• All members of the school board

• All teachers at her school

• All students at her high school

• All students in the school district

• All high school students in the state

A sample of students will be selected from all the students at a high school. Which of the following sampling methods is least likely to produce a representative sample of the students?

• From a list of all student names, randomly select 50 names from the list for the sample.

• Randomly choose five classrooms in the school and use all the students in those classrooms for the sample.

• Divide the students into the four class years (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) and randomly select students from each year in proportion to the number of students in each year.

• From a numbered list of all student names, randomly choose a starting point and then choose every tenth student on the list.

• From a randomly chosen home basketball game, choose every tenth student who enters the gymnasium.

A teacher at a culinary arts school will conduct an experiment to investigate which of three methods of instruction works best in teaching students how to make a good pie crust. Each student in a group of 60 students will be randomly assigned to one of three methods: in-person demonstration by the instructor, watching a video, and reading a recipe. The students will be assigned so that each method will have 20 students. Each pie crust made will be judged on its taste and texture. What are the treatments of the experiment?

• The 60 students

• The three methods of instruction

• The 20 students within each group

• The scores on taste and texture

• The 60 pie crusts made

A random number generator is used to select 12 students from a large statistics class to rate a statistics video. The 12 students selected are

• the population.

• a simple random sample of the class.

•  a convenience sample.

• a voluntary response sample

What is the the best definition of "population?"

• The whole group you want to study.

• The group you actually study.

• Each item in the group.

What is the the best definition of "Sample?"

• The whole group you want to study.

• The group you actually study.

• Each item in the group.

A survey of 976 American households found that 32% of the households own two cars.  Identify the the sample.

• All American households

• 976 American households

• 32% of Americans own two cars

• two cars

A survey of 976 American households found that 32% of the households own two cars.  Identify the the population.

• All American households

• 976 American households

• 32% of Americans own two cars

• two cars

Marianne wanted to know students' opinion on the new schedule at school. She survey's the first 30 students who come into her class.

• Convenience Sampling

• Systematic Random Sampling

• Simple Random Sampling

• Volunteer response

A political polling group is interested in learning about the proportion of registered voters who favor a particular candidate for mayor. Which of the following sampling plans may have introduced bias?

• Individuals were selected randomly to participate from a list of registered voters.

• Every 50^th person on a list of registered voters was contacted and asked to identify who they would vote for in the upcoming election.

• A list of registered voters was first separated into two lists—one of males and one of females. Then individuals were selected at random from each of the two lists.

• A survey was mailed to all registered voters and those who returned the survey make up the sample

• None of the above sampling plans creates the potential for bias.