Question 1

Joaquim decides to survey the salaries of college basketball players in championship teams.He makes a frequency polygon of the data.It is most likely that the graph looks like a _____________.

Accepted Answer

C

Question 2

Descriptive statistics are used to ______________.

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics are used to summarize or describe data from a sample, such as measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and measures of variability (standard deviation, range). Options B, C, and D are more related to inferential statistics, which are used to make inferences or generalizations about a population based on data from a sample.

Question 3

Which type of frequency distribution graph uses lines to present the frequency data?

Accepted Answer

A polygon graph uses lines to connect the points representing the frequency data. It is often used to show the shape of the distribution or to compare two or more sets of data. A histogram uses bars to represent the frequency data, while a normal curve shows a symmetric, bell-shaped distribution. A skewed distribution is one in which the data is not evenly distributed on both sides of the mean.

Question 4

One problem with collecting data from samples is that ________.

Accepted Answer

Sampling errors occur due to the fact that samples are not always perfectly representative of the population they are drawn from. This means that the data collected from a sample may not accurately reflect the true characteristics of the population, leading to errors in analysis and interpretation.

Question 5

In a sequel to Lord of the Rings,a NBA basketball team is transported to Hobbit-town.Gandalf the Wizard is fascinated by the new visitors to Hobbit-town and decides to make a frequency distribution of the heights of all the male residents in Hobbit-town.The shape of this frequency distribution would likely be a _________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a sequel to Lord of the...

Question 6

The most usual kind of frequency distribution is the _________.

Accepted Answer

The most usual kind of frequency distribution is a normal curve, also known as a bell curve. It is a symmetrical distribution where the majority of values are clustered around the mean, and the outliers are evenly distributed on either side. Skewed and bimodal curves are less common, while the binomial distribution is a discrete distribution applicable to only certain types of experiments.

Question 7

Which is NOT a property of the normal curve?

Accepted Answer

The highest point of a normal curve is always at the center, where the mean, median, and mode coincide, not to the left or right.

Question 8

The crucial difference between a statistic and parameter is that __________.

Accepted Answer

A statistic is derived from a sample and can have sampling error, while a parameter is a fixed value from the entire population and has no error. Both differences are crucial.

Question 9

Psychologists want to make judgments and decisions about the data and variables.This is the role of __________.

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics allows psychologists to make judgments and decisions about data and variables by using methods such as hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and regression analysis to make inferences about the larger population based on data from a smaller sample. Descriptive statistics simply summarizes and describes the data, while the standard deviation is a measure of the variability of the data. Conformational statistics is not a recognized term in statistics.

Question 10

Maricella decides to survey the heights of BOTH men and women college basketball players in championship teams.He makes a frequency polygon of the data.It is most likely that the graph looks like a _____________.

Accepted Answer

It is likely that the heights of male and female basketball players will have different peaks, resulting in a bimodal distribution. Male basketball players tend to be taller on average than female players, so the frequency of heights at each peak would be different.

Question 11

Statistical analysis is a way ______________exists in almost any body of data.

Accepted Answer

Statistical analysis is a way of trying to account for the error that exists in almost any body of data. It helps to quantify the uncertainty in the data and estimate the probability of obtaining the observed results by chance. This can help researchers draw valid conclusions from their data and make well-informed decisions.

Question 12

Which measure is calculated from a population?

Accepted Answer

A parameter is a measure that is calculated from a population, whereas statistics are measures that are calculated from a sample. Therefore, the best choice for this question is A) parameter.

Question 13

Which type of frequency distribution graph uses bars to present the frequency data?

Accepted Answer

A histogram is a graph that uses bars to display the frequency distribution of a set of continuous data. It is a useful tool for understanding the shape of the distribution, including the central tendency, variability, and skewness of the data. Other graphs like polygon, normal curve, and skewed distribution may be useful for different types of data, but they do not use bars to present the frequency data.

Question 14

A parameter is ______________.

Accepted Answer

A parameter is a numerical value that describes a characteristic of a population. It is calculated using data from the entire population, rather than just a sample.

Question 15

A bimodal frequency distribution is one that _________.

Accepted Answer

A bimodal frequency distribution has two separate groups being graphed together. This means that there are two distinct modes, or peaks, in the distribution. It is not necessarily skewed or normal in shape, and it can represent any type of data, not just data related to sex.

Question 16

Jamilla is interested in how many pizza slices the average teenage boy would eat for lunch.Thus,she asks 25 young men from her high school home room class and computes the average.This average would be called a ___________.

Accepted Answer

The average computed by Jamilla from the sample of 25 young men in her high school home room class would be called a statistic. A statistic is a numerical summary of a sample. Parameters, on the other hand, are numerical summaries of populations. Measures of variability and dispersion refer to the spread or variation of data, and are not the appropriate terms to describe an average.

Question 17

Saundra collected a data set.She wanted to understand how spread out the scores were.What were the highest and lowest scores? Were the scores tightly concentrated? Saundra went to her psychology professor who told her that she should study up on ________________.

Accepted Answer

Saundra's goal is to understand the spread or range of the scores, which is the focus of measures of variability, such as range, variance, and standard deviation. Measures of central tendency (A) describe the middle or typical score, measures of parameters (B) are specific numerical values used to describe populations, and measures of probability (C) quantify the likelihood of certain outcomes.

Question 18

Psychologists want to be able to do two things with the data they collect.The first is to summarize the information from a study or experiment.To do this they use _________.

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics are used to summarize and describe the main features of a data set. This includes measures such as mean, median, mode, and range. Inferential statistics, on the other hand, are used to make inferences about a population based on a sample, and require a level of statistical significance. The standard deviation is a common measure of variability in a data set, but is not a method for summarizing data. Conformational statistics is not a recognized term in statistics.

Question 19

Moshe decides to survey the heights of the men in his high school class.He measures every single male student in his school.He then plots a frequency distribution.The curve that he plots will probably be described as a _________.

Accepted Answer

A bell curve is a symmetrical distribution that is common when measuring traits in a population. Since Moshe measured every male student in his high school class, we can assume that the sample is representative of the population and the resulting curve will likely form a bell shape.

Question 20

Which is a property of the normal curve?

Accepted Answer

A) The normal curve is symmetrical, which means that the shape of the curve is identical on both sides of the mean.
B) In a normal distribution, the mode, median, and mean are all equal, making it a perfect bell-shaped curve.
C) The normal curve is very common in psychological data because many psychological variables follow a normal distribution.
D) ALL of these are properties of the normal curve.

Quiz 1: Appendix A: Statistics in Psychology