Question 1

Professor Latimore gives an exam that turns out to be exceptionally easy and everyone does well, yielding a
A) normal distribution.
B) negatively skewed distribution.
C) positively skewed distribution.
D) bimodal distribution.

Accepted Answer

B

Question 2

The three measures of central tendency tend to converge in a
A) symmetrical distribution.
B) asymmetrical distribution.
C) positively skewed distribution.
D) negatively skewed distribution.

Accepted Answer

The measures of central tendency tend to converge or be similar in a symmetrical distribution where the data is evenly distributed on either side of the mean. In this case, the median and mode will be close to the mean. However, in asymmetrical or skewed distributions, the measures of central tendency can differ significantly depending on the direction of the skewness.

Question 3

Histograms and frequency polygons typically list possible scores on the ____ and indicate frequency of the scores on the ____.
A) horizontal axis; vertical axis
B) vertical axis; horizontal axis
C) left side; right side
D) right side; left side

Accepted Answer

Histograms and frequency polygons typically have a horizontal x-axis (listing possible scores) and a vertical y-axis (indicating frequency of the scores), making A the correct answer.

Question 4

Before you construct a histogram you need to
A) calculate an inferential statistic.
B) calculate a correlation.
C) create a frequency distribution.
D) create a series of percentile ranks.

Accepted Answer

Before constructing a histogram, it is important to create a frequency distribution. The frequency distribution determines the intervals or bins for the histogram, and it includes the count or frequency of observations within each interval. Without a frequency distribution, it is not possible to accurately construct a histogram. Calculating an inferential statistic, calculating a correlation, and creating percentile ranks are not necessary steps for constructing a histogram.

Question 5

Scores pile up at the low end of the scale in
A) a negatively skewed distribution.
B) a positively skewed distribution.
C) any skewed distribution.
D) a normal distribution.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Scores pile up at the low end...

Question 6

In both bar graphs and frequency polygons, the horizontal axis is typically used to indicate
A) all the possible scores in a data set.
B) the frequency of each score in a data set.
C) the average scores for the entire data set.
D) the strength of the correlation among the scores in a data set.

Accepted Answer

In both bar graphs and frequency polygons, the horizontal axis typically represents all the possible scores in a data set. It allows for easy comparison of the frequency or distribution of each score.

Question 7

Techniques to graphically represent the frequency of scores in a set of data include
A) histograms and frequency polygons.
B) frequency distributions and frequency polygons.
C) frequency distributions and scatter diagrams.
D) histograms and scatter diagrams.

Accepted Answer

Histograms and frequency polygons are the most common and effective techniques to visually represent the frequency of scores in a set of data. Histograms use bars to represent the frequency of each score or group of scores, while frequency polygons use connected points to show the frequency distribution. Both techniques provide a clear and easy-to-read picture of the data, making it easy to identify patterns, trends, and outliers in the data set.

Question 8

Dr. Kleiman gives an exam where most of the students receive failing grades and only a few students receive high scores. When the exam scores are plotted, the distribution will be
A) positively skewed.
B) negatively skewed.
C) symmetrical.
D) impossible to predict without more information.

Accepted Answer

If most students receive failing grades and only a few receive high scores, the distribution will be positively skewed. This is because the majority of the scores are clustered at the lower end of the scale, pulling the tail of the distribution to the right (i.e., the direction of the higher scores).

Question 9

The use of mathematics to organize, summarize and interpret numerical data is known as
A) statistical significance.
B) standard deviation.
C) statistics.
D) variability.

Accepted Answer

The use of mathematics to organize, summarize and interpret numerical data is known as statistics. Statistical significance refers specifically to the likelihood that a result or relationship could have occurred by chance. Standard deviation and variability are specific measures within statistics.

Question 10

Toshi has collected data for her research. She wants to create an orderly arrangement of scores that would indicate the frequency of each score; she would be MOST likely to use a
A) scatterplot.
B) frequency distribution.
C) histogram.
D) frequency polygon.

Accepted Answer

Toshi wants to create an orderly arrangement of scores that would indicate the frequency of each score. The best way to do this would be to use a frequency distribution, which organizes data into categories or intervals and shows how many observations or scores fall into each category or interval. This will allow Toshi to quickly see which scores are the most common or rare in her data set. Scatterplots, histograms, and frequency polygons are all useful for displaying data, but they do not show frequency in the same way that a frequency distribution does.

Question 11

A frequency polygon is a
A) graph that represents a symmetrical or bell-shaped curve.
B) bar graph that presents data from a frequency distribution.
C) line figure that presents data from a frequency distribution.
D) graph in which paired scores for each subject are plotted as single points.

Accepted Answer

A frequency polygon is a line figure that represents data from a frequency distribution. It is created by connecting the midpoints of the tops of each bar in a histogram or frequency distribution.

Question 12

The use of statistics to organize and summarize data BEST describes the purpose of
A) normal statistics
B) correlational statistics
C) inferential statistics
D) descriptive statistics

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics are used to organize and summarize data, such as calculating measures of central tendency (e.g. mean, mode, median) and measures of variability (e.g. range, standard deviation). Normal statistics, correlational statistics, and inferential statistics all have more specific purposes within the field of statistics.

Question 13

Researchers use statistics to do all of the following EXCEPT
A) to interpret numerical data.
B) to collect numerical data.
C) to summarize numerical data.
D) to organize numerical data.

Accepted Answer

Researchers use statistics to analyze and interpret numerical data, summarize and organize data, but they do not use statistics to collect numerical data. The process of data collection is usually done through surveys, experiments, or observations.

Question 14

Your psychology professor wants to organize and summarize the scores on the first psychology test; which type of statistics is your professor MOST likely to use?
A) descriptive statistics
B) inferential statistics
C) correlational statistics
D) significant statistics

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics are used to summarize and describe the basic features of a set of data. In this case, the professor wants to organize and summarize the scores on the psychology test, which is a basic feature of the data. Therefore, the professor is most likely to use descriptive statistics.

Question 15

A histogram is a
A) graph that represents a symmetrical or bell-shaped curve.
B) bar graph that presents data from a frequency distribution.
C) line figure that presents data from a frequency distribution.
D) graph in which paired scores for each subject are plotted as single points.

Accepted Answer

A histogram is a bar graph that presents data from a frequency distribution, specifically for continuous data. Each bar represents a range of values, and the height of the bar represents the frequency of data within that range.

Question 16

Which measure of central tendency is obtained by adding all the scores and dividing that total by the number of scores?
A) mode
B) median
C) mean
D) range

Accepted Answer

The measure of central tendency obtained by adding all the scores and dividing that total by the number of scores is called the mean.

Question 17

A table that uses an organized arrangement to indicate how frequently each score or group of scores occurs in a set of data is a
A) frequency polygon.
B) histogram.
C) frequency distribution.
D) frequency table.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A table that uses an organized arrangement...

Question 18

Dr. Trane wants to create a line figure to present her data that would indicate the frequency of each score. Dr. Trane will be MOST likely to use a
A) scatterplot.
B) frequency distribution.
C) histogram.
D) frequency polygon.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Trane wants to visualize the frequency of each score, which can be achieved using a frequency polygon. A frequency polygon is a line figure that connects the points plotted for the frequency of each score. It provides a clear representation of the distribution of scores and allows for easy comparison between different groups. A scatterplot is used to show the relationship between two variables, which is not relevant in this scenario. A frequency distribution is a table showing the number of times each score occurs, but it does not provide a visual representation of the data. A histogram is similar to a frequency polygon, but it shows the frequency of scores grouped into intervals, which is not necessary for this particular analysis.

Question 19

The marketing agent for a professional sports franchise conducts a survey asking people how much they support the construction of a new sports stadium. Almost everyone who takes part in the survey indicates they are strongly in favor of a new stadium; there are just a few respondents who think a new stadium would be a bad idea. When the results from the survey are plotted in a histogram, the distribution will be
A) positively skewed.
B) symmetrical.
C) impossible to predict without more information.
D) negatively skewed.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The marketing agent for a professional sports...

Question 20

Stefan has collected a large amount of data in a study designed to test the effectiveness of a new drug meant to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. To organize and summarize his data, which type of statistics would he use?
A) descriptive statistics
B) correlational statistics
C) normal statistics
D) inferential statistics

Accepted Answer

Descriptive statistics are used to organize, summarize, and describe data in a meaningful way. In the case of Stefan's study, he would likely use descriptive statistics to report basic information about the participants (such as their age and gender), as well as statistics like mean and standard deviation to summarize the effectiveness of the drug. Correlational statistics are used to describe the relationship between two variables, normal statistics is not a recognized term, and inferential statistics are used to make inferences or draw conclusions about a population based on a sample.

Quiz 35: Statistical Methods

Professor Latimore gives an exam that turns out to be exceptionally easy and everyone does well, yielding a

The three measures of central tendency tend to converge in a

Histograms and frequency polygons typically list possible scores on the and indicate frequency of the scores on the .

Before you construct a histogram you need to

Scores pile up at the low end of the scale in

In both bar graphs and frequency polygons, the horizontal axis is typically used to indicate

Techniques to graphically represent the frequency of scores in a set of data include

Dr. Kleiman gives an exam where most of the students receive failing grades and only a few students receive high scores. When the exam scores are plotted, the distribution will be

The use of mathematics to organize, summarize and interpret numerical data is known as

Toshi has collected data for her research. She wants to create an orderly arrangement of scores that would indicate the frequency of each score; she would be MOST likely to use a

A frequency polygon is a

The use of statistics to organize and summarize data BEST describes the purpose of

Researchers use statistics to do all of the following EXCEPT

Your psychology professor wants to organize and summarize the scores on the first psychology test; which type of statistics is your professor MOST likely to use?

A histogram is a

Which measure of central tendency is obtained by adding all the scores and dividing that total by the number of scores?

A table that uses an organized arrangement to indicate how frequently each score or group of scores occurs in a set of data is a

Dr. Trane wants to create a line figure to present her data that would indicate the frequency of each score. Dr. Trane will be MOST likely to use a

Stefan has collected a large amount of data in a study designed to test the effectiveness of a new drug meant to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. To organize and summarize his data, which type of statistics would he use?