Question 1

The same analysis and observation of objective data may be subject to multiple interpretations.

Accepted Answer

The interpretation of objective data is subjective and can depend on various factors such as personal biases, experiences, and context. Therefore, the same analysis and observation can be subject to multiple interpretations.

Question 2

The output of the data analysis process should always lead to better decision making.

Accepted Answer

The purpose of data analysis is to provide meaningful insights and information to help with decision making. Therefore, the output of the data analysis process should always lead to better decision making.

Question 3

When multiple pieces of information are combined, some important implications can be drawn.

Accepted Answer

This is true. By combining multiple pieces of information, patterns and connections can emerge, leading to insights or conclusions that may not have been apparent before.

Question 4

Each row of data in a table represents a "data bit."

Accepted Answer

A row in a table represents a data point or a record, which can contain multiple data bits (or fields/columns).

Question 5

Data bits are combined into pieces of information, which are combined into implications, which suggest decision alternatives, which lead to decisions.

Accepted Answer

This statement describes the process of converting data into decisions, which involves combining data bits into information, interpreting that information to draw implications, considering decision alternatives based on those implications, and ultimately making a decision.

Question 6

Percents cannot be averaged unless the percentage is weighted by the size of the sample responding to the question.

Accepted Answer

This is because the percentage represents a proportion or ratio, which does not take into account the total size of the sample. Weighting the percentage by the size of the sample ensures that larger samples have a greater impact on the average percentage than smaller samples.

Question 7

Referring only to percentages when the base of their computation is very small provides adequate information.

Accepted Answer

Referring only to percentages when the base of their computation is very small can be misleading as the actual value or impact may be negligible. It is important to provide the actual numbers along with percentages to give a better understanding of the situation.

Question 8

Dealing with "don't know" or "no opinion" responses is a matter of analyst judgment.

Accepted Answer

Dealing with "don't know" or "no opinion" responses requires the analyst to use their judgment to decide how to handle those responses. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, so it is up to the analyst to determine the best course of action based on the specific context and goals of their analysis.

Question 9

It is standard operating procedure for marketing research firms using phone or personal interviewers to push for responses other than ""do not know"" or ""no opinion"".

Accepted Answer

Marketing research firms often train their interviewers to try to elicit a response from the respondent, even if it means suggesting or prompting a particular answer. This is done in order to increase the amount of usable data obtained from the survey.

Question 10

The ""do not know"" or ""no opinion"" responses will almost always be overrepresented in the final data

Accepted Answer

These types of responses are often underrepresented because respondents who are unsure or indifferent may choose not to participate in the survey at all, or they might select a more definitive answer choice when prompted.

Question 11

Frequency distributions can be applied to nominal, ordinal, and interval data, but not ratio data.

Accepted Answer

Frequency distributions can be applied to ratio data as well.

Question 12

The mode is the measure of central tendency used with nominal data.

Accepted Answer

The mode is the most frequently occurring value in a set of data, regardless of the scale of measurement. It can be used with any type of data, including nominal data.

Question 13

Mode and standard deviation can both be used when analyzing ordinal data.

Accepted Answer

Ordinal data is ranked in order, but the distance between ranking categories cannot be determined, so it is not appropriate to calculate mean or standard deviation. The mode can still be used to determine the most frequent ranking.

Question 14

The measures of interval data include the mode, mean, and median.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Interval data can be analyzed using measures such as the mode, mean, and median. These measures provide information about the central tendency of the data and can be used to make inferences about the population.

Question 15

The measures of ratio data include geometric and harmonic means.

Accepted Answer

Ratio data can be measured using the geometric mean and harmonic mean.

Question 16

Standard deviation can be used for both nominal and interval data analysis.

Accepted Answer

Standard deviation can only be used for interval or ratio data analysis, not for nominal data.

Question 17

The mode is the response that separates the top half of response frequencies from the bottom half.

Accepted Answer

The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a data set, not the value that separates the top half from the bottom half of response frequencies. The median is the value that separates the top half from the bottom half.

Question 18

The mean is the most frequently occurring response.

Accepted Answer

The mean is not the most frequently occurring response. It is the sum of all the values in a data set divided by the total number of values. The measure of the most frequently occurring response is called the mode.

Question 19

The average of the responses computed by summing all responses and dividing by the number of responses is the mean.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The mean is one way to measure the average of a set of data, and it is calculated by dividing the sum of all the data points by the number of data points.

Question 20

It is possible to compute the response that separates the top half of response frequencies from the bottom half for nominal data.

Accepted Answer

For nominal data, there is no inherent ordering or hierarchy among the categories, so it is not possible to compute a response that separates the top half from the bottom half based on frequency.

Quiz 11: Analyzing and Interpreting Data for Decisions