Deck 5: Sampling

Question 1

After the death of Freddie Gray, there were protests at Baltimore City Hall. If we wanted to gain understanding of those involved in the protest, but could not interview everyone, we could interview a subset of protestors. What would that subset be called?

A) sample
B) component
C) population
D) elements

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A study on violence in schools found that violence could be reduced through a LifeSkills program. This program was offered to one middle school and the researchers thought it would apply to all middle schools. Yet, this represents a problem with ______.

A) precision
B) generalizability
C) sampling units
D) enumeration units

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A study of prison behavior chose a sample of prisons and then a sample of inmates within each prison. The inmates are considered the ______ sampling units.

A) primary
B) tertiary
C) secondary
D) enumeration

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Dr. Smart wanted to draw a sample of households to identify the adults within those households. The adults are considered the ______ and the households are considered the ______.

A) sampling frame; enumeration units
B) elements; sampling frame
C) enumeration units; elements
D) elements; enumeration units

Question 5

A professor sampled a group of students from New York City, but generalized his results to students from other schools, including schools in rural areas. This professor made an error in ______.

A) sample generalizability
B) sample reliability
C) cross-population generalizability
D) internal validity

Question 6

Any difference between the characteristics of a sample and the characteristics of the population from which it was drawn is called the ______.

A) sampling units
B) target population
C) sampling error
D) obtained sample

Question 7

A researcher is interested in surveying high school students within one school. This researcher obtains a list from the school's office of all the high school students that attend that school. What is this list called?

A) population
B) sampling unit
C) sampling frame
D) obtained sample

Question 8

When a researcher projects their theories onto groups or populations larger or different than those they have actually studied, this refers to that researcher's ______.

A) target population
B) sampling error
C) cross-population
D) sampling frame

Question 9

While the sampling frame is a list of the elements of a population from which a sample actually is selected, the ______ is the actual sample that is selected.

A) desired sample
B) obtained sample
C) samping unit
D) enumeration unit

Question 10

The larger the ______, the less representative the sample is of the population.

A) target population
B) sampling frame
C) obtained sample
D) sampling error

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a way to minimize sampling error and increase sample quality?

A) Ensure the obtained sample is acceptable.
B) Sample should be as representative as possible to generalize to the population.
C) Collect a sample of convenience.
D) Population should be defined as well as possible.

Question 12

A researcher wanted to obtain a sample of college students from his university. Even though he wanted his sample to be representative of the entire student body, he asked the registrar for only the list of juniors and seniors. This is an example of a bad ______.

A) sampling frame
B) obtained sample
C) sampling unit
D) sample statistic

Question 13

Say we are interested in gathering a sample of adults from a town, but it is impossible to obtain a list of the entire population of the town. We may gather a list of residential addresses so that we can draw a sample of households. What are the adults in the households called?

A) elements
B) available population
C) sample components
D) enumeration units

Question 14

One researcher gathered a small sample from high school students from one school and generalized his results to the entire high school body of that school. Depending on the quality of the sample, the ______ may be compromised.

A) cross-population generalizability
B) sample reliability
C) sample generalizability
D) internal validity

Question 15

A sample shaped by systematic sampling error is a(n) ______ sample.

A) underrepresented
B) compromised
C) biased
D) overrepresented

Question 16

All of the following are probability sampling methods EXCEPT ______.

A) cluster sampling
B) simple random sampling
C) systematic random sampling
D) quota sampling

Question 17

Which of the following is the fundamental element of probability samples?

A) random selection
B) nonresponse
C) probability of selection
D) generalizability

Question 18

If you were to flip a coin to decide which person wins and which one loses, heads and tails are equally likely to turn up in a coin toss. Because of this, both persons have an equal chance to win. In this example, the probability of selection is ______.

A) 0.5
B) 0.75
C) 0.25
D) 0.35

Question 19

Random selection refers to a sampling strategy when every element of a population is known and has an independent chance of being selected into the sample. This does not mean though that there is NO control over the sampling method. When there is no control over the sampling method, the sample would not be truly random. In such cases, probability sampling can be confused with a ______ method of sampling.

A) stratified
B) haphazard
C) disproportionate
D) systematic

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a problem related to random selection methods?

A) Inadequate response rate
B) Incomplete list of population elements
C) Lack of control over selection method
D) Every element of population is known

Question 21

Consider that you want to examine bullying at a high school. The list of high school students from the administrator's office is the ______, while the number of high school students included in your final sample is the ______.

A) obtained sample; sampling frame
B) sampling frame; obtained sample
C) sampling frame; desired sample
D) desired sample; sampling frame

Question 22

Which of the following does NOT increase the representativeness of a sample?

A) larger samples
B) homogeneous population
C) heterogeneous population
D) sample's fraction of the total population is large

Question 23

Which of the following random samples does NOT require a sampling frame?

A) simple random sample
B) systematic random sample
C) stratified random sample
D) multistage cluster sample

Question 24

After selecting and numbering the elements in her sampling frame, Tara decided to go to a website and used a systematic procedure for picking corresponding numbers from a random number table. Which type of random sample did she employ?

A) simple random sample
B) systematic random rample
C) stratified random sample
D) multistage cluster sample

Question 25

In almost all sampling situations, systematic random sampling yields what is essentially a simple random sample. However, the differ based on the fact that the sequence of elements is affected by ______.

A) sampling interval
B) periodicity
C) random digit dialing
D) probability

Question 26

Samples are easier to collect because of all the of the following EXCEPT ______.

A) less time needed
B) less money needed
C) less need for prior information
D) less need for control over sampling

Question 27

The National Crime Victimization Survey selects subjects by identifying rural counties or metropolitan areas as primary sampling units, then chooses geographic regions within these units, and then chooses addresses within the geographic regions. This is an example of ______.

A) simple random sampling
B) multistage cluster sampling
C) disproportionate stratified sampling
D) systematic random sampling

Question 28

Replacement sampling is a method of sampling in which sample elements are returned to the sampling frame after being selected, so they may be sampled again. This type of sampling is associated with which type of random sampling procedure?

A) simple random sample
B) systematic random rample
C) stratified random sample
D) multistage cluster sample

Question 29

Dr. Smart is interested in conducting a study on a previously understudied research setting. Which of the following sampling methods could be appropriate for the exploratory nature of her study?

A) simple random sample
B) multistage cluster sample
C) disproportionate stratified sample
D) availability sample

Question 30

A study is conducted of gang recruitment and sources of intergang conflict. Using a contact at a local youth program, the researcher is able to meet each gang's leader. A prescreening questionnaire determines which gang leaders are knowledgeable in these areas and should be included in the sample. This sampling method would be termed ______.

A) availability sampling
B) quota sampling
C) multistage cluster sampling
D) purposive sampling

Question 31

Suppose we are interested in investigating the crime of personal larceny with contact, which generally involves pocket picking and purse snatching. Because elderly citizens are disproportionately victimized by this crime, we would want to make sure we have enough elderly victims in our sample to make comparisons to younger cohorts. What type of sampling method would we use?

A) availability sampling
B) quota sampling
C) multistage cluster sampling
D) purposive sampling

Question 32

In a study of juvenile gangs, researchers asked youth gang members that they already knew to refer them to others to interview. They engaged in which type of sampling method?

A) availability sampling
B) quota sampling
C) snowball sampling
D) purposive sampling

Question 33

Which of the following nonprobability sampling methods requires that the researcher know the characteristics of the entire population?

A) availability sampling
B) quota sampling
C) snowball sampling
D) purposive sampling

Question 34

Dr. Henry is interested in conducting a key informant survey of all those knowledgable of criminal justice policies in his community. According to your text, what type of sampling method would he most likely use?

A) availability sampling
B) quota sampling
C) multistage cluster sampling
D) purposive sampling

Question 35

A researcher might conclude from a sample of 200 college students that he can be 95% confident that the true mean number of hours spent studying each week in the total population of college students is between 6 and 9 hours. The range from 6 to 9 hours represents which of the following?

A) confidence interval
B) sampling distribution
C) inferential statistic
D) confidence limits

Question 36

According to your text, which of the following would increase our confidence that the estimates derived from our sample are representative of the population?

A) diverse sample
B) heterogeneous sample
C) a larger sample
D) conventional sample

Question 37

Random sampling error refers to variation between the population and the sample that is based on ______.

A) inferential statistics
B) sampling distribution
C) heterogeneity of sample
D) chance factors

Question 38

Which of the following represents the upper and lower bounds around an estimate of a population parameter based on a sample statistic?

A) confidence interval
B) sampling distribution
C) inferential statistic
D) confidence limits

Question 39

To determine the generalizability of someone else's findings, we have to understand how and why researchers decide to sample.

Question 40

The ability to generalize our findings to a population depends on how well we collected the sample.

Question 41

A sampling technique can be improved by having an explicit definition of the population of interest.

Question 42

Sample quality can be determined by the amount of sampling units.

Question 43

Researchers interested in conducting an exploratory study would most likely use a probability sampling method.

Question 44

Nonprobability samples are typically more representative than probability samples.

Question 45

The main difference between a nonprobability sample and a probability sample are whether or not the population elements are known or unknown.

Question 46

Systematic bias can be eliminated if the sampling methods rely on the random selection of elements into the sample.

Question 47

Sampling methods that do not reveal the likelihood of selection in advance are probability sampling methods.

Question 48

Random selection techniques are compromised if a large portion of people that were asked do not participate.

Question 49

The fundamental element in a probability sample is the nonresponse of participants.

Question 50

The sampling frame for a city, state, or nation is always likely to be incomplete because of constant migration into and out of the area.

Question 51

Whereas multistage cluster requires more information than usual prior to sampling, stratified sampling requires less prior information.

Question 52

Systematic random sampling is a variant of simple random sampling but it is more time consuming.

Question 53

Sampling error is greater in a cluster sample than in a simple random sample.

Question 54

Nonprobability samples should not be used in quantitative studies if a probability-based method is feasible.

Question 55

Quota sampling is intended to overcome availability sampling's biggest downfall: the likelihood that the sample will just consist of who or what is available, without any concern for its similarity to the population of interest.

Question 56

Quota sampling requires that members of a population are interconnected in some way so that they can refer additional people for the researchers to interview.

Question 57

Availability samples can be biased because they may only include individuals interested in participating in the survey or interview.

Question 58

A graph of a normal distribution looks like a bell.

Question 59

Imagine you want to gather information about the use of alcohol on your campus. You know that it is impossible to gain information from the entire school so you decide to collect a sample. What would be your sampling frame? Then write one reason why the quality of your sample is important to the generalizability of your results. How could you be confident that your sample is representative of the students at the entire school?

Question 60

Examine you are conducting a study of an inner city that is ethnically and racially diverse. Why you would conduct a stratified random sample as compared to a simple random sample? Explain your answer using two or three sentences.

Question 61

Explain the difference between a proportionate stratified sample and a disproportionate stratified sample. Then provide two separate examples in which each are appropriate.

Question 62

Recall that sample quality if also dependent on sample size. Imagine you wanted to conduct a study on college students that do not drink, but you know that the majority do drink. Explain what type of stratified sample you would use. Why is such a sample important?

Question 63

Say a researcher wanted to obtain a sample of the entire U.S. population using a telephone book. What would be some issues with this? How would having an incomplete list affect this researcher's sample generalizability?

Question 64

Briefly explain the difference between nonprobability samples and probability samples. Then identify at least two situations where a nonprobability sample would be appropriate.

Question 65

Define availability sampling. Describe why they are not generalizable and provide at least two ways this sampling method can still be appropriate in research regardless of generalizability.

Question 66

How does an availability sample differ from a simple random sample? Provide at least two or three sentences.

Question 67

List the major lessons about sample quality that your book discusses. Why is sample quality important?

Question 68

Sampling error is an important concern for researchers. What is the difference between systematic sampling error and random sampling error? What is the tool for calculating sampling error and what does it estimate? Define the term confidence intervals and confidence limits. How are confidence intervals affected by sample size?

Question 69

How many challenges can you list that would likely be confronted by a social researcher seeking to survey a representative sample of homeless persons? Can you identify some potential strategies discussed in Chapter 5 that you could use to overcome some of these challenges? Generally, what type of sample would you need to collect: probability or nonprobability? Would your findings be generalizable to all homeless people and why?

Question 70

Think about crime on your campus. What research question interests you the most about crime on your campus? Taking what you learned in Chapter 5 about sampling, who would you need to sample? How would you gather your sample? Would your sample be nonprobability or probability? Which particular type of sampling method would you use (e.g., quota, availability, simple random). Based on the sampling method, how generalizable would your findings be to your campus and to other campuses?

Question 71

Your book suggests that there are three questions that you need to ask to assess sample quality. What are they? Then answer each of those three questions for this sample: CDC's NISVS study, noninstitutionalized (e.g., not in nursing homes, prison, and so on) English- and/or Spanish-speaking residents aged 18 and older were randomly selected through an RDD sampling method in 2010. A total of 9,970 women and 8,079 men were selected. Approximately, 45% of the interviews were conducted by landline and 55% by cell phone. The final sample represented the U.S. population very well. For example, the proportion of the sample by gender, race/ethnicity, and age in the NISVS sample was very close to the sample proportions for the U.S. population as a whole.

Question 72

Imagine that hypothetically you were able to access a sex trafficking ring and that you want to collect specific information on how the leaders of this ring operate. What would be some of your research questions? What type of nonprobability sampling method would you use? Why do you think this method is appropriate? Then describe the precautions you would need to use when reporting your findings.

Question 73

Imagine you are interested in looking at the crime of vandalism. The literature suggests this is more commonly carried out by youth ages 15 to 17. As such, you want to make sure that your sample has enough of youth of that age, plus other ages for comparison purposes. First, decide your research questions, then decide which type of nonprobability sample you would use. Provide your rationale for using that sampling method. Then describe the steps you might take to carry out your sampling method.