Question 1

When employing random purposive sampling, the initial sample is selected
A) randomly.
B) by criterion.
C) purposively.
D) systematically.

Accepted Answer

Random purposive sampling involves selecting samples based on specific purposes or criteria, hence the term "purposively" indicates the method of selection rather than random, criterion-based, or systematic methods.

Question 2

Peggy is conducting a reading intervention study that involves many children in many classrooms in many schools. The intervention is delivered by the teacher to the entire classes. Peggy would like to use a random sampling approach. Which of the following is Peggy likely to consider?
A) Simple random sampling
B) Systematic sampling
C) Purposive random sampling
D) Multistage sampling

Accepted Answer

Given the complexity of Peggy's study, involving many children across multiple classrooms and schools, multistage sampling is the most appropriate choice. This method allows for the selection of samples in stages, such as selecting schools, then classrooms within those schools, and finally students within those classrooms, making it suitable for large-scale educational research.

Question 3

Kim needs to select 80 students from a group of 400 using simple random sampling. After listing all potential participants what will Kim do next?
A) Identify and define the population
B) Determine the sample size
C) Assign all individuals a consecutive number
D) Go to the random number table and start to select

Accepted Answer

After listing all potential participants, Kim should assign each individual a consecutive number to facilitate the random selection process.

Question 4

Which of the following are two general indicators that determine adequacy of a qualitative sample size?
A) Representativeness and redundancy
B) Generalizability and representativeness
C) Redundancy and clarity
D) Responsiveness and generalizability

Accepted Answer

Representativeness refers to the extent to which the sample accurately reflects the population being studied, while redundancy refers to the point where no new information or themes emerge with additional data. These two indicators help determine adequacy of a qualitative sample size. Generalizability and responsiveness are important for quantitative research, but not as relevant for qualitative research. Clarity is important for data analysis, but not necessarily a direct indicator of sample size adequacy.

Question 5

All forms of random sampling include the following steps EXCEPT
A) listing all members of the population.
B) identifying the population.
C) determining sample size
D) selecting the sample.

Accepted Answer

Listing all members of the population is not a necessary step in all forms of random sampling. For example, in systematic sampling, a list of the entire population is not required; instead, a starting point is chosen at random, and every nth member is selected.

Question 6

Abby is conducting research on the perceived role of Arts within medium-sized suburban communities. She wants to survey people with an affinity for some from of the Arts. She goes to a local theatre production of The Music Man to recruit participants. Abby is illustrating
A) convenience sampling.
B) quota sampling.
C) purposive sampling.
D) systematic sampling.

Accepted Answer

Purposive sampling involves selecting participants based on a specific purpose or criteria, often related to their expertise or experience in a certain area. In this case, Abby is specifically targeting individuals with an affinity for the Arts, and she is recruiting them at a theatre production, making it purposive sampling.

Question 7

One benefit of cluster sampling is that it
A) is effective for use in school research.
B) assures limited sampling error.
C) is more generalizable than simple random sampling.
D) assures all members of the population can be in a treatment condition.

Accepted Answer

Cluster sampling is particularly effective for use in school research because it allows researchers to select entire schools or classes as clusters, making the process more manageable and practical.

Question 8

In homogeneous sampling, researchers
A) compare differences of two or more levels of the problem.
B) select a small group of participants who fit a narrow problem.
C) identify participants who meet a defined criterion and select a sample.
D) allow initial participants to identify additional study participants.

Accepted Answer

In homogeneous sampling, researchers select a small group of participants who fit a narrow problem to ensure that the sample is uniform and specific to the research question.

Question 9

Missy is a key informant in Allison's study on teenage girls' study habits. Of the following, which is likely the strategy by which Missy was selected?
A) Random sampling
B) Stratified sampling
C) Criterion sampling
D) Cluster sampling

Accepted Answer

Missy was likely selected using criterion sampling, as she was chosen for her specific knowledge and expertise related to the topic being studied (teenage girls' study habits). This approach involves selecting individuals who meet certain predetermined criteria or characteristics that are important to the study.

Question 10

Marc is a qualitative researcher who needs to interview both expert and novice teachers for a study. He expects to interview about 50 teachers. Which sampling strategy will Marc likely use?
A) Simple random
B) Systematic
C) Criterion
D) Intensity

Accepted Answer

The answer of Marc is a qualitative researcher who needs...

Question 11

Allie collected data from 22 medical education faculty at a large research university in the Midwest United States regarding their opinions of problem-based learning. Which of the following represents Allie's accessible population?
A) All medical education faculty
B) Medical education faculty in the Midwest United States
C) Medical education faculty in her sample
D) Medical education faculty at the University

Accepted Answer

The accessible population refers to the larger group of individuals from which a sample is drawn. In this case, Allie's accessible population would be the medical education faculty at the University where she collected the data from. Therefore, option D is the correct answer. Option A is too broad as it includes all medical education faculty, not just those at the University where Allie collected data. Option B is also too broad as it includes faculty from the entire Midwest United States. Option C refers to the sample itself, not the accessible population.

Question 12

Sally is completing a narrative study on the rehabilitation of middle-aged women runners after stress fractures in their feet. She therefore selects only women in the 35-45 year age range who are just beginning rehabilitation at one particular clinic. Sally's sampling strategy can best be described as
A) simple random sampling.
B) cluster sampling.
C) homogeneous sampling.
D) random purposive sampling.

Accepted Answer

Sally's sampling strategy is homogeneous sampling because she is selecting a specific group that shares common characteristics: middle-aged women runners in the 35-45 year age range beginning rehabilitation for stress fractures in their feet. This approach ensures the sample is very similar in regards to the specific criteria of interest, which is typical of homogeneous sampling.

Question 13

Generally, qualitative researchers select a sample that is
A) selected purposely.
B) as large as possible.
C) generalizable to a target population.
D) diverse demographically.

Accepted Answer

Qualitative researchers typically select samples that are purposefully chosen based on their ability to provide rich and varied perspectives on the phenomena being studied. Qualitative research is not focused on generalizability or representativeness, but rather on exploring the subjective experiences and meanings of the individuals or groups being studied. As such, the goal is not to maximize sample size, but rather to ensure that the sample is diverse and includes a range of relevant perspectives.

Question 14

Charleon is conducting a study to examine TechState employees' use of university computers for non-work related tasks. She would like to generalize her findings to all of the employees of the TechState University community. Given Charleon's study, which of the following is the target population?
A) Members of University communities in the United States
B) Staff members of TechState University
C) Employees including faculty and staff of TechState University
D) Employees of the Universities in her geographic region

Accepted Answer

The target population in this study is specific to TechState University, so option C, which includes both faculty and staff of TechState University, is the best choice. Option A is too broad and includes universities throughout the country, while option B only includes staff members and not faculty. Option D is too broad and includes all universities in Charleon's geographic region, which may not be relevant to the study at hand.

Question 15

Matt is a qualitative researcher interested in the benefits of community gardens on respect for cultural diversity. To conduct his study he selects 8 members of a community gardening group who are Anglo Americans whose families have been in the country for at least three generations and who have been members of the gardening community for at least two years. The sampling strategy Matt is using is best described as
A) homogeneous.
B) criterion.
C) stratified.
D) intensity.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Matt is a qualitative researcher interested in...

Question 16

Maude is conducting an ethnographic study that concerns the transitions that older Americans face as they move into transitional housing. She is particularly interested in the potential differences in the challenges for men and women. She therefore is careful to include both men and women in her sample. Maude's strategy can best be categorized as
A) systematic sampling.
B) intensity sampling.
C) homogeneous sampling.
D) cluster sampling.

Accepted Answer

Intensity sampling involves selecting cases that strongly represent the phenomenon of interest, in this case, the challenges faced by both men and women during transitions into housing.

Question 17

Maria needs to randomly select 90 participants from a pool of 5000. With how many digits in each entry of the random number table will Maria need to be concerned?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4

Accepted Answer

Since Maria is selecting from 5000 participants, she needs a method that can uniquely identify each participant. A 4-digit number can range from 0000 to 9999, covering all 5000 possibilities, whereas 3 digits would only allow for 000 to 999, not enough to represent all participants.

Question 18

Graham recruited student volunteers to participate in his dissertation study. He set up several times for students to come to a specified classroom and read various types of instructional materials and to be tested. He ran all of his control conditions first and then for each session he placed all students at the session in the same treatment condition. This is problematic because those who volunteered early are likely different than those who volunteered later. This problem is primarily due to
A) error rates.
B) sampling error.
C) researcher bias.
D) sampling bias.

Accepted Answer

The problem described in the scenario is due to sampling bias, as the specific type of participants that volunteered early on may not be representative of the larger population of potential participants.

Question 19

Sammy collected data from 18 pre-service secondary science majors at a small university in the Western United States regarding their opinions of Inquiry as an instructional approach. Which of the following is likely Sammy's target population?
A) All pre-service science teachers
B) Pre-service science teachers in the Western United States
C) Pre-service science teachers at the University
D) Pre-service science teachers in her sample

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sammy collected data from 18 pre-service secondary...

Question 20

The type of random sampling that targets groups, not individuals is
A) criteria.
B) cluster.
C) homogeneous.
D) simple random.

Accepted Answer

Cluster sampling involves dividing a population into smaller groups or clusters and randomly selecting some of these clusters for inclusion in the study. This type of sampling is useful when it's difficult to obtain a complete list of individuals in the population and can be more efficient than simple random sampling. Therefore, cluster sampling is the most appropriate choice for targeting groups, not individuals.

Quiz 5: Selecting a Sample

When employing random purposive sampling, the initial sample is selected

Peggy is conducting a reading intervention study that involves many children in many classrooms in many schools. The intervention is delivered by the teacher to the entire classes. Peggy would like to use a random sampling approach. Which of the following is Peggy likely to consider?

Kim needs to select 80 students from a group of 400 using simple random sampling. After listing all potential participants what will Kim do next?

Which of the following are two general indicators that determine adequacy of a qualitative sample size?

All forms of random sampling include the following steps EXCEPT

Abby is conducting research on the perceived role of Arts within medium-sized suburban communities. She wants to survey people with an affinity for some from of the Arts. She goes to a local theatre production of The Music Man to recruit participants. Abby is illustrating

One benefit of cluster sampling is that it

In homogeneous sampling, researchers

Missy is a key informant in Allison's study on teenage girls' study habits. Of the following, which is likely the strategy by which Missy was selected?

Marc is a qualitative researcher who needs to interview both expert and novice teachers for a study. He expects to interview about 50 teachers. Which sampling strategy will Marc likely use?

Allie collected data from 22 medical education faculty at a large research university in the Midwest United States regarding their opinions of problem-based learning. Which of the following represents Allie's accessible population?

Generally, qualitative researchers select a sample that is

Charleon is conducting a study to examine TechState employees' use of university computers for non-work related tasks. She would like to generalize her findings to all of the employees of the TechState University community. Given Charleon's study, which of the following is the target population?

Maria needs to randomly select 90 participants from a pool of 5000. With how many digits in each entry of the random number table will Maria need to be concerned?

Sammy collected data from 18 pre-service secondary science majors at a small university in the Western United States regarding their opinions of Inquiry as an instructional approach. Which of the following is likely Sammy's target population?

The type of random sampling that targets groups, not individuals is