Deck 15: Data Analysis: Basic Questions

Question 1

The scale skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled laborer was used to classify respondents in a recent survey. The appropriate measure(s) of central tendency for this variable are

A) the mode.
B) the median.
C) the mode and the median.
D) the mean.
E) the mode, the median, and the mean.

Answer 1

the mode and the median.

Question 2

In the following statement which claim is probably correct, given each claim was established using rating scales completed by consumers? "New improved Killo disinfectant now has a 50% fresher odor, is 15% less irritating, is 25% easier to use, and in a selected sample was stated as being more effective by 50% of the subjects."

A) 50% of the subjects felt it to be more effective
B) 50% fresher odor
C) 25% easier to use
D) 15% less irritating
E) they are all correct if the claims are based on consumer perceptions

Answer 2

50% of the subjects felt it to be more effective

Question 3

(Use the following information for the next two questions.)
Consider the following advertising claims:
Claim 1: "Ultrasoft chairs last 50% longer than our competitor's best chairs."
Claim 2: "A random sample of homemakers found Ultrasoft chairs 65% more comfortable than our leading competitor's chairs."

-Which of the these claims can likely be made legitimately?

A) Claim 1
B) Claim 2
C) both Claim 1 and Claim 2
D) neither Claim 1 nor Claim 2
E) both claims are legitimate but not valid

Answer 3

Claim 1

Question 4

(Use the following information for the next two questions.)
Consider the following advertising claims:
Claim 1: "Ultrasoft chairs last 50% longer than our competitor's best chairs."
Claim 2: "A random sample of homemakers found Ultrasoft chairs 65% more comfortable than our leading competitor's chairs."

-Which of the following statements is true with regard to Claim 2?

A) Claim 2 can be made legitimately.
B) Claim 2 cannot be made legitimately because of the nominal nature of the rating scale that likely was employed.
C) Claim 2 cannot be made legitimately because the sample provided nonindependent judgments of the two chairs.
D) Both b and c are true with regard to Claim 2.
E) None of the above are true with regard to Claim 2.

Question 5

A manufacturer of lawnmowers wanted to know the most important product attributes to consumers. The company's research team developed a comprehensive list of lawnmower attributes. Respondents were asked to rate each attribute as either essential (3), nice to have but not essential (2), or unnecessary (1). Using the above information answer the following two questions.

-Using data collected with this scale, which of the statements listed is legitimate?

A) 60% of all respondents rated an electric starter as essential.
B) The mean rating for having an electric starter was significantly higher than the rating given for having a catcher at =0.05.
C) For respondents over 50, an electric starter was the most important feature on a lawnmower.
D) None of the statements are legitimate given the scale.
E) All of the statements would be legitimate.

Question 6

Which of the following is true?

A) In most studies the choice of statistical technique by which to analyze the collected data is crucial for proper interpretation of what was found.
B) The conclusion of a study typically does not depend on the statistical method used to analyze the data.
C) With interval scaling it is correct to say that car A had a scale value rating 6 times as great as that of car B.
D) An analyst is interested in determining how the undergraduate grade point averages of students in the Graduate School of Business and the Law School compare. He should use a statistical test for related samples.
E) All of the above statements are false.

Question 7

The appropriate analysis technique does NOT depend on

A) the power of the test.
B) the type of data.
C) the research design.
D) the assumptions underlying the test statistic.
E) it depends on all of the above.

Question 8

If a variable is nominal or ordinal a ______ statistical procedure is typically suggested for analyzing the data.

A) distribution free
B) parametric
C) metric
D) Multiple-sample
E) Single-sample

Question 9

When a research design is of the form:
X₁ $\quad$ 0₁
X₂ $\quad$ 0₂
$\quad \quad$ 0₃
The samples are

A) large.
B) small.
C) dependent.
D) analyzed in pairs.
E) independent.

Question 10

A large consumer products company wants to increase sales of an existing laundry detergent product. The brand team can not decide whether to use a newspaper coupon (X₁), a sample drop (X₂), or an in-store coupon (X₃) to increase sales. The research manager suggests an in-market test to (1) determine if any of the promotions had an impact, and (2) which had the greater impact. Of the designs shown below, which would provide the research manager with the information necessary to make this determination?

A)
X₁ $\quad$ 0₁
X₂ $\quad$ 0₂
X₃ $\quad$ 0₃
$\quad \quad$ 0₄
B)
X₁ $\quad$ 0₁
X₂ $\quad$ 0₂
X₃ $\quad$ 0₃
C)
0₁ $\quad$ X₁ $\quad$ 0₂
0₃ $\quad$ X₂ $\quad$ 0₄
0₃ $\quad\quad\quad\quad$ 0₆
D)
0₁ $\quad$ X₁ $\quad$ 0₂
0₃ $\quad$ X₂ $\quad$ 0₄
0₅ $\quad$ X₃ $\quad$ 0₆
0₇ $\quad$ $\quad \quad$ 0₈
E) None of the designs are appropriate to meet the needs of the brand manager.

Question 11

Which of the following is false?

A) The samples are independent in an experiment diagrammed:
X $\quad$ 0₁
$\quad$$\quad$ 0₂
B) In an experiment diagrammed 0₁ X 0₂ the observations must be analyzed in pairs as the observations are not independent.
C) The t-test for the differences in means should be used to analyze an experiment diagrammed as:
X₁ $\quad$ 0₂
X₂ $\quad$ 0₂
$\quad$ $\quad$ 0₃
D) Suppose we wish to contrast the "exposed" and "unexposed" groups with respect to their differences in attitude toward a product and also with respect to the sales of the product to each group; the design would be diagrammed:
X $\quad$ 0₁
$\quad$ $\quad$ 0₂
And the most appropriate procedure would be to test for the differences between the two groups considering both variables simultaneously.
E) All of the above statements are true.

Question 12

Which of the following is false?

A) The most important question that needs to be answered in preparing to run the maze of statistical methods is to decide whether the problem is of a univariate or multivariate nature.
B) A statistical problem is univariate if there are several measurements on each of the observations but each variable is to be analyzed in isolation.
C) Assuming the problem implies univariate analysis, a most important question the analyst need ask is what level of measurement underlies the data.
D) The parametric statistical procedures are most appropriate if the data are ratio or interval scaled.
E) Nominal data are most appropriately analyzed using arametric statistical procedures.

Question 13

A research design diagrammed as: 0₁ X 0₂ suggests

A) the observations should be analyzed in pairs.
B) the samples are independent.
C) the t-test for the difference in two means is the appropriate analysis procedure.
D) the problem is essentially multivariate in nature.
E) that none of the above are implied by the design.

Question 14

A sample of 20 men have been asked to give their opinions on the use of electric razors before and after using a new kind of electric razor. The proper statistical test for examining the data is

A) the t-test of the difference between means.
B) the paired difference test.
C) analysis of variance.
D) regression analysis.
E) none of the above.

Question 15

(Use the following information for the next two questions.)
The manager of a car dealership was concerned that female customers found sales representatives to be intimidating. The manager asked a local market research firm to determine whether or not significant gender based differences existed in attitudes toward automobile sales personnel.
The research supplier used random digit dialing to contact 200 men and women over the age of 21 in the dealer's market area. Respondents were asked to rate automobile salespeople in the local area on helpfulness, willingness to deal, answering questions fully, courtesy, and patience using a 7-point Likert scale with 1 being poor to 7 being excellent. All respondents were also asked if new car salespeople were intimidating (yes or no). Only one person per household was asked to respond to the survey and the variances between the two groups on all questions were assumed to be equal.

-Given this design, which of the following statements would be legitimate conclusions based on the scales being used?

A) There is a significant difference between men and women in the ratings given to salespeople on willingness to deal and patience.
B) Twice as many women as men felt intimidated by new car sales representatives.
C) The mean score for willingness to deal was 50% higher among male respondents than among female respondents.
D) All of the above are valid inferences.
E) None of the above are valid inferences.

Question 16

(Use the following information for the next two questions.)
The manager of a car dealership was concerned that female customers found sales representatives to be intimidating. The manager asked a local market research firm to determine whether or not significant gender based differences existed in attitudes toward automobile sales personnel.
The research supplier used random digit dialing to contact 200 men and women over the age of 21 in the dealer's market area. Respondents were asked to rate automobile salespeople in the local area on helpfulness, willingness to deal, answering questions fully, courtesy, and patience using a 7-point Likert scale with 1 being poor to 7 being excellent. All respondents were also asked if new car salespeople were intimidating (yes or no). Only one person per household was asked to respond to the survey and the variances between the two groups on all questions were assumed to be equal.

-The two populations are assumed to have equal variances. To check this assumption, which of the tests below should be used?

A) the Chi-square test
B) the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test
C) the F test
D) the Chebov test
E) none of the above

Question 17

The parametric statistical procedures are appropriate if the data is

A) dependent.
B) metric.
C) nominally scaled.
D) ordinally scaled.
E) none of the above.

Question 18

The t-test is INAPPROPRIATE for investigating the difference in two sample means when

A) the variance in the two populations can be assumed equal.
B) the characteristic of interest is normally distributed in each population.
C) a pooled estimator for the overall variance is warranted.
D) the data is ordinal or nominally scaled.
E) the samples are independent.

Question 19

Which of the following is a means of looking at differences among groups when a number of characteristics are considered simultaneously?

A) a multivariate statistical procedure
B) a histogram
C) a matrix
D) a cumulative distribution function
E) a frequency polygon

Question 20

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) A multivariate problem of analysis obtains whenever the analyst has two or more measures per sample object and he wishes to analyze the variables together.
B) Both scale of measurement and role of each variable interact to produce a complex classification scheme of multivariate procedures.
C) In dependence analysis, one (or more) of the variates is selected for special treatment by the conditions of the problem and the emphasis is on investigating how it depends on the other variates.
D) A criterion variable is an independent variable while an antecedent variable is a dependent variable.
E) In interdependence analysis, all of the variables have equal footing in the sense none is considered the criterion to be predicted by the others.

Question 21

When no variable is singled out for special treatment as a criterion variable but rather the researcher is interested in the relationship among all the variables considered at once, the most appropriate technique is

A) factor analysis.
B) multiple regression analysis.
C) linear discriminant analysis.
D) multiple regression with dummy variables.
E) multiple discriminant analysis.

Question 22

When a researcher is concerned with the relationship of a set of variables among themselves he is concerned with the analysis of

A) dependence.
B) interdependence.
C) independence.
D) predictor variables.
E) consequent variables.

Question 23

When we are interested in examining the differences between two groups when a number of characteristics are simultaneously considered the most appropriate statistical technique is

A) univariate analysis.
B) multiple regression analysis.
C) multivariate test of group differences.
D) T-test for difference in two means.
E) traditional analysis-of-variance procedures.

Question 24

(Use the following information for the next three questions.)
Consider the following scenarios:
SCENARIO A: The research director for a large chain of department stores is interested in examining the sales of a certain product in a sample of stores located on the west coast with sales of the product in a sample of stores located along the east coast in order to determine any differences in sales patterns.
SCENARIO B: The product manager for a large ice cream company believes that sales of his product in supermarkets greatly depends upon the amount of space given to the product in the ice cream section and the amount of in store promotion given his product. To determine if this is the case, the manager collected data from 20 supermarkets.

-For which of these scenarios is univariate analysis appropriate?

A) Scenario A
B) Scenario B
C) both Scenario A and Scenario B
D) neither Scenario A nor Scenario B
E) more information is needed

Question 25

(Use the following information for the next three questions.)
Consider the following scenarios:
SCENARIO A: The research director for a large chain of department stores is interested in examining the sales of a certain product in a sample of stores located on the west coast with sales of the product in a sample of stores located along the east coast in order to determine any differences in sales patterns.
SCENARIO B: The product manager for a large ice cream company believes that sales of his product in supermarkets greatly depends upon the amount of space given to the product in the ice cream section and the amount of in store promotion given his product. To determine if this is the case, the manager collected data from 20 supermarkets.

-Which of the following statistical procedures is NOT appropriate for use with Scenario A?

A) T-test
B) analysis of variance
C) Z-test
D) all of the above would be appropriate
E) none of the above would be appropriate.

Question 26

(Use the following information for the next three questions.)
Consider the following scenarios:
SCENARIO A: The research director for a large chain of department stores is interested in examining the sales of a certain product in a sample of stores located on the west coast with sales of the product in a sample of stores located along the east coast in order to determine any differences in sales patterns.
SCENARIO B: The product manager for a large ice cream company believes that sales of his product in supermarkets greatly depends upon the amount of space given to the product in the ice cream section and the amount of in store promotion given his product. To determine if this is the case, the manager collected data from 20 supermarkets.

-Which of the following statistical procedures is appropriate for use with Scenario B?

A) factor analysis
B) discriminant analysis
C) multiple regression analysis
D) Spearman's Rank Correlation
E) all of the above are appropriate