Question 1

The city council wants to examine their citizens' feelings about allowing dogs on the city's beaches.They construct a list of all the blocks in the city and randomly select 20% of the blocks to sample.They then survey all residents of the selected city blocks.This sampling strategy is an example of which of the following sampling techniques?

Accepted Answer

This sampling strategy is an example of cluster sampling, as the city blocks are randomly selected and all residents within the selected blocks are surveyed.

Question 2

Researchers are often not worried about obtaining random samples from the "general population" for their research because

Accepted Answer

Most psychological research prioritizes understanding how variables relate to one another rather than ensuring the sample perfectly represents the general population. This focus allows researchers to explore and theorize about causal relationships and correlations without the necessity of a random or perfectly representative sample.

Question 3

A non-probability sampling technique for choosing a sample that reflects the numerical composition of various subgroups in the population is called

Accepted Answer

Quota sampling involves selecting a sample that reflects the characteristics of the overall population. It's a non-probability sampling technique where the researcher fills quotas that are representative of the population demographics or characteristics.

Question 4

When researchers conduct a survey questioning all members of a population they are employing a _____.However,if the researchers question a subgroup of the population they are employing a _____.

Accepted Answer

When researchers conduct a survey questioning all members of a population, it is called a census. On the other hand, when researchers question a subgroup of the population, they are employing a sample. Therefore, the correct option is D, census for questioning all members and sample for questioning a subgroup. Option A and B are incorrect as they both include confidence interval, which is not related to the type of survey being conducted. Option C is also incorrect as it suggests that sampling is being done for the entire population, which is not possible.

Question 5

When interviewing Sarah,John nods his head and smiles whenever Sarah responds with an answer that he likes.John's behaviour is an example of

Accepted Answer

John's behavior is an example of interviewer bias, which occurs when an interviewer's behavior or actions influence the responses of the interviewee, potentially leading to inaccurate or biased data. By smiling and nodding specifically when he hears an answer he likes, John is inadvertently encouraging Sarah to provide more of those types of responses, potentially skewing the data.

Question 6

In survey research,when individuals tend to respond to all questions from a particular perspective rather than to the content of the question,they are displaying

Accepted Answer

This behavior is known as a response set, which refers to a tendency to respond to survey questions in a consistent, predetermined way, rather than giving individual consideration to each question. This can happen either due to an attempt to appear consistent or due to a lack of motivation to think through each answer.

Question 7

It is important to use ________ sampling when you wish to make precise statements about particular characteristics of a specific population.

Accepted Answer

Probability sampling is the best choice when you want to make precise statements about particular characteristics of a specific population because it allows for random selection of participants, which reduces bias and helps ensure that the sample is representative of the population. Haphazard and non-probability sampling are less reliable methods and may introduce bias into the sample selection process. Quota sampling can also introduce bias if the quotas are not representative of the population.

Question 8

A survey researcher would be most likely to use a(n)_____ question when the dimensions of the variables are well defined.

Accepted Answer

Closed-ended questions provide a pre-determined set of response options, which are well-defined and aid in easy tabulation and analysis of data. Open-ended questions, on the other hand, lack structure and do not provide a fixed set of response alternatives, making it difficult to summarize the data. Loaded and double-barreled questions introduce bias into the survey and are generally not recommended.

Question 9

A _____ sample size will _____ the size of the confidence interval.

Accepted Answer

Increasing the sample size will reduce the size of the confidence interval because a larger sample size provides more information and reduces the variability of the sample mean.

Question 10

Probability sampling techniques are most important for

Accepted Answer

Probability sampling techniques are designed to select a representative sample from a population, which allows for accurate generalization of results from the sample to the larger population. This is particularly important in research where the goal is to draw conclusions about a larger group or population, such as in surveys or epidemiological studies. The other options mentioned (selecting participants for experiments, obtaining significant results, and internal validity) are also important considerations in research design, but they are not directly related to the use of probability sampling techniques.

Question 11

With simple random sampling,each member of the population has a(n)________ probability of being sampled.

Accepted Answer

Simple random sampling involves randomly selecting individuals from a population, with every member having an equal chance of being chosen. Therefore, the correct choice is A, equal. B, haphazard, and C, nonspecific, do not accurately describe simple random sampling. D, 50%, is not necessarily true in all cases as the probability of being sampled can differ depending on the size of the population and the sample size.

Question 12

Asking participants in a survey if they agree with the statement "I like spending my free time with other people" and later in the survey asking in they agree with the statement "I enjoy being alone during my free time" will help in identifying

Accepted Answer

Asking opposite or similar questions within a survey is one strategy to identify whether participants are using response sets, such as always agreeing or always disagreeing. This technique can help researchers detect and eliminate unreliable responses. This question pair also uses opposite poles of the same dimension, which increases construct validity.

Question 13

Jack has a difficult time answering the question "Are you in favour of increasing tuition in order to increase the number of classes and parking spaces offered?" because it is a _____ question.

Accepted Answer

The question is asking about two different things - increasing tuition and increasing the number of classes/parking spaces. This makes it a double-barreled question, which can be confusing for the person being asked and may not accurately reflect their true opinion on each aspect separately.

Question 14

If you want to assess political allegiances amongst registered voters in Vancouver classified by social class and age,you might randomly select voters from each subgroup according to their proportion in the entire city.This sampling technique is called ________ sampling.

Accepted Answer

Stratified random sampling would be the best choice as it ensures that each subgroup (defined by social class and age in this case) is represented in the sample proportionally to their representation in the entire population, reducing the potential for bias.

Question 15

The adequacy of your _____ will influence your ability to generalize your results.

Accepted Answer

The sampling frame is the list of individuals or elements from which a sample is selected. If the sampling frame is not representative of the population of interest, then the sample may not be generalizable. Therefore, the adequacy of the sampling frame influences the ability to generalize results.

Question 16

When respondents answer in agreement with all questions,this is referred to as _____.However,if respondents answer in disagreement to all questions,this is referred to as _____.

Accepted Answer

When respondents answer in agreement with all questions, it is referred to as yea-saying, and when they answer in disagreement to all questions, it is referred to as nay-saying. Social desirability refers to the tendency to answer questions in a way that is deemed socially acceptable, while social undesirability refers to answering in a way that is considered socially unfavorable. Loading and unloading are terms used in factor analysis, and positive and negative wording refer to bias introduced by wording the questions in a particular way.

Question 17

Emily is studying the effect of physical appearance on the likelihood to vote for a female candidate using volunteers from an introductory psychology class.Emily's sampling technique best represents a

Accepted Answer

Emily is using volunteers from an introductory psychology class, which means she is using a convenience sampling technique. This may introduce bias into the study as the sample may not be representative of the population as a whole.

Question 18

Students are asked to evaluate the food sold in the university cafeteria on 7-point scales with bipolar adjectives such as poor-good and inexpensive-expensive.These measures represent what type of scale?

Accepted Answer

The measures of the food sold in the university cafeteria on 7-point scales with bipolar adjectives such as poor-good and inexpensive-expensive represent semantic differential scale. This scale uses a series of bipolar adjectives as the response options and measures the respondents' attitudes or feelings toward the object or concept being evaluated.

Question 19

A _____ is a listing of all the elements in the population.

Accepted Answer

A sampling frame is a listing of all the elements in the population from which a sample can be drawn. The other options are not listings of elements in the population: a confidence interval is a range of values that is likely to contain a population parameter, a response set is a list of choices or options for respondents to choose from in a survey or questionnaire, and a population estimate is an approximation of a population characteristic.

Question 20

George wants to know what teenagers believe is the most significant social problem facing today's youth.Which type of question would be the most useful?

Accepted Answer

Open-ended questions allow respondents to provide their own answers without being confined to a pre-determined set of options. This type of question would be more useful in eliciting a range of opinions on what teenagers believe is the most significant social problem facing today's youth. Closed-ended questions, on the other hand, limit respondents to a set of pre-determined options, while double-barreled questions ask multiple questions at once and can be confusing. Loaded questions are biased and may influence respondents to answer in a particular way.

Quiz 7: Asking People About Themselves: Survey Research