Question 1

Which of the following endings is NOT true: Studying statistics is important because doing so
A) will answer all of the important questions about life.
B) allows me to remain abreast of new developments in my field of study.
C) is how we gain knowledge about people and the world around us.
D) enhances my critical thinking skills.

Accepted Answer

Studying statistics is important, but it will not answer all of the important questions about life as this is a broad and philosophical statement that cannot be entirely covered by statistics alone.

Question 2

In statistics, a population is made up of
A) a subset of a larger group.
B) the entire world.
C) the individuals chosen to be in an experiment.
D) an entire group with something in common.

Accepted Answer

A population refers to an entire group with something in common, such as all individuals living in a particular country or all students enrolled in a particular school. It is not a subset of a larger group or limited to individuals chosen to be in an experiment. The entire world is too broad to be considered a population in most cases.

Question 3

In statistics, a sample is made up of
A) a subset of a larger group.
B) the entire world.
C) the citizens of a specific location.
D) an entire group with something in common.

Accepted Answer

A sample is a subset of a larger group or population, and is often used to make inferences about the larger group.

Question 4

Random sampling
A) is biased sampling.
B) helps ensure that a sample is representative of a population.
C) is based on trial and error.
D) helps ensure that only the most experienced in the population participate so that a positive outcome is more likely.

Accepted Answer

Random sampling helps ensure that a sample is representative of a population, as each individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected. This helps avoid bias and ensures that the sample is a true reflection of the population.

Question 5

Population parameters are
A) calculated directly from a population.
B) error free.
C) inferred from samples.
D) provide complete information about the population.

Accepted Answer

Population parameters cannot be calculated directly from a population, as it is usually impossible or impractical to measure every individual in a population. They are also not error-free, as any measurement or sampling process will introduce some level of error. Instead, population parameters are inferred from samples, which provide an estimate of the true population value. However, population parameters do provide complete information about the population, as they describe some characteristic of the entire population rather than just a subset.

Question 6

A manufacturing executive hires a researcher to study the effects of sleep deprivation on his employees. The researcher randomly selects 50 of the 1200 employees to participate in the study. The 50 employees who participated make up the
A) parameters.
B) control group.
C) population.
D) sample.

Accepted Answer

The researcher randomly selects 50 of the 1200 employees to participate in the study, therefore, these 50 participants make up the sample.

Question 7

____________________ statistics involves predicting the characteristics of a ____________________ based on the data from a _____________________.
A) Inferential; sample; population
B) Descriptive; sample; population
C) Inferential; population; sample
D) Descriptive; population; sample

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics involves making predictions or inferences about a population based on the data collected from a sample of that population.

Question 8

Statistics are to parameters as ________________ are to __________________.
A) dependent variables; independent variables
B) samples; populations
C) populations; samples
D) independent variables; dependent variables

Accepted Answer

Parameters are characteristics of a population, while statistics are characteristics of a sample. Similarly, populations are the full set of individuals or objects being studied, while samples are subsets of the population that are used to draw conclusions about the entire population. Therefore, the relationship between statistics and parameters is similar to the relationship between samples and populations.

Question 9

A numerical value that originates from a sample is a
A) statistic.
B) parameter.
C) descriptive variable.
D) inferential variable.

Accepted Answer

A numerical value that originates from a sample is a statistic. A parameter is a numerical value that originates from a population, and descriptive and inferential variables are not formal terms in statistics.

Question 10

Sample data cannot be expected to predict population parameters with perfect accuracy due to
A) interval error.
B) statistical error.
C) quantitative error.
D) sampling error.

Accepted Answer

Sampling error is the difference between the sample statistic and the population parameter. It occurs because we are only able to measure a subset of the population instead of the entire population. This means that the sample data cannot perfectly predict the population parameters. Other types of errors mentioned in the options such as interval error, statistical error, and quantitative error are not directly related to the accuracy of the data in predicting population parameters.

Question 11

Eye color is an example of a(n)
A) extraneous variable.
B) continuous variable.
C) qualitative variable.
D) quantitative variable.

Accepted Answer

Eye color is a qualitative variable because it represents a characteristic or quality of an individual rather than a numerical value or measurement.

Question 12

What kind of variables can be broken down into fractions, or smaller units?
A) extraneous variables
B) continuous variables
C) discrete variables
D) qualitative variables

Accepted Answer

Continuous variables can be broken down into fractions or smaller units, such as height or weight. Discrete variables, on the other hand, are separate and distinct values, like the number of siblings someone has. Qualitative variables are non-numeric in nature, like eye color or marital status. Extraneous variables are variables that are not being studied and are not of interest to the research question.

Question 13

All of the following are continuous variables, except
A) academic major.
B) the speed of a runner.
C) the weight of a watermelon.
D) distance traveled.

Accepted Answer

Academic major is not a continuous variable because it is a categorical variable with distinct categories such as science, humanities, business, etc. Continuous variables are those that can take on any value within a range or interval, such as weight, distance, and speed.

Question 14

All of the following are discrete variables, except
A) number of siblings.
B) gender.
C) academic major.
D) amount of time spent working out.

Accepted Answer

Discrete variables are countable in a finite amount of time and include things like the number of siblings, gender, and academic major. The amount of time spent working out is a continuous variable because it can take on any value within a range, including fractions of hours or minutes.

Question 15

One of the features of the _______________ scale of measurement is an arbitrary zero point.
A) ratio
B) nominal
C) interval
D) ordinal

Accepted Answer

Interval scale of measurement has an arbitrary zero point, which means that the zero does not indicate the absence of the measured attribute. Additionally, interval scales have equal intervals between points, but ratios cannot be compared.

Question 16

We use _________________ to estimate parameters.
A) populations
B) statistics
C) variables
D) constants

Accepted Answer

Statistics are calculated from a sample to estimate population parameters.

Question 17

_____________________ statistics takes sampling error into consideration when estimating the characteristics of a population.
A) Inferential
B) Descriptive
C) Quantitative
D) Qualitative

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics uses techniques such as hypothesis testing and confidence intervals to make inferences about a population based on a sample, while taking into account the potential for sampling error. Descriptive statistics, on the other hand, simply describe the characteristics of a sample or population without making inferences. Quantitative and qualitative statistics refer to the type of data being analyzed, not the methods used to handle sampling error.

Question 18

The upper limit of 2.67 is _________________.
A) 2.6705
B) 2.72
C) 2.665
D) 2.675

Accepted Answer

The upper limit of 2.67 means that any number above 2.67 is not included, so we need to choose the option that is closest to 2.67 without going over it. Option D, 2.675, is the closest without going over and therefore the best choice.

Question 19

The lower limit of 3.1 is _____________.
A) 3.6
B) 2.6
C) 3.095
D) 3.05

Accepted Answer

The lower limit is the smallest possible value in the range. Since 3.1 is already given as the lower limit, we need to find a value that is less than 3.1.

Option A, 3.6 is greater than the given lower limit, so it cannot be the correct answer. 
Option B, 2.6 is also less than 3.1, but it is not the best choice because it is too far from the given value. 
Option C, 3.095 is very close to 3.1, but it is still greater than the given value.

Option D, 3.05 is the best choice because it is the closest value to 3.1 that is still less than 3.1. Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Question 20

Real limits are a characteristic of
A) discrete variables.
B) continuous variables.
C) qualitative variables.
D) independent variables.

Accepted Answer

Real limits are a characteristic of continuous variables, which have an infinite number of possible values and can take on any value within a range.

Quiz 1: Introduction to Statistics

Which of the following endings is NOT true: Studying statistics is important because doing so

In statistics, a population is made up of

In statistics, a sample is made up of

Random sampling

Population parameters are

A manufacturing executive hires a researcher to study the effects of sleep deprivation on his employees. The researcher randomly selects 50 of the 1200 employees to participate in the study. The 50 employees who participated make up the

statistics involves predicting the characteristics of a based on the data from a _.

Statistics are to parameters as are to __.

A numerical value that originates from a sample is a

Sample data cannot be expected to predict population parameters with perfect accuracy due to

Eye color is an example of a(n)

What kind of variables can be broken down into fractions, or smaller units?

All of the following are continuous variables, except

All of the following are discrete variables, except

One of the features of the _______________ scale of measurement is an arbitrary zero point.

We use _________________ to estimate parameters.

_____________________ statistics takes sampling error into consideration when estimating the characteristics of a population.

The upper limit of 2.67 is _________________.

The lower limit of 3.1 is _____________.

Real limits are a characteristic of