Question 1

The problem of selection bias in survey research is similar to the problem of ________ in research using archival data.

Accepted Answer

Selection bias in survey research is similar to selective deposit in archival research, as both involve the issue of certain data being more likely to be included or recorded, leading to potential biases in the findings.

Question 2

Low response rates that result when respondents fail to return a completed mail survey are a major factor leading to response rate bias.These low response rates pose a potential problem because

Accepted Answer

Low response rates increase the risk of nonresponse bias, where certain segments of the population are overrepresented or underrepresented in the final sample. This can compromise the representativeness and accuracy of the sample. The other options are not accurate; a convenience sample cannot become a probability sample, no survey has a 100% response rate, and the sample size is not necessarily smaller than intended, but rather, it may not be representative of the population.

Question 3

Which of the following survey methods is best for dealing with highly personal or embarrassing topics,especially when the anonymity of respondents is preserved?

Accepted Answer

Mail surveys are best for addressing sensitive topics because they offer respondents a high degree of anonymity, encouraging more honest and open responses.

Question 4

Stratified random sampling is especially useful when the researcher is interested in

Accepted Answer

Stratified random sampling is most helpful in making general statements about specific portions of the population that have been sampled. By dividing the population into homogeneous subgroups and randomly selecting individuals from each of these subgroups, the researcher can ensure that the sample is representative of each subgroup's characteristics. This allows for more accurate and reliable generalizations about specific portions of the population.

Question 5

Techniques to increase the return rate for a survey include

Accepted Answer

Making sure the survey requires minimal effort from the respondents is the best choice as it reduces the chances of respondents abandoning the survey due to it being lengthy or confusing. Preserving confidentiality and hiding the survey topic may reduce the response bias but may not necessarily increase the return rate.

Question 6

The decision of how many people needed in a random sample to represent the population should be based on the

Accepted Answer

The decision of how many people needed in a random sample to represent the population should be based on the degree of variability in the population. The higher the variability, the more individuals are needed in the sample to ensure a representative sample of the population. This is because the larger the sample, the more likely it is to capture the range of variation in the population. Therefore, option D is the correct answer. The other options (A, B, and C) are also important considerations when designing a survey, but they are not as crucial in determining the sample size.

Question 7

Suppose a recent issue of the campus newspaper reported a survey about students' attitudes toward proposed changes in the required curriculum.Which of the following would you need to focus on most to decide whether the survey results reported in the paper can be generalized to the entire population of students?

Accepted Answer

Representativeness of the sample is the most important factor to consider when deciding whether survey results can be generalized to the entire population. A representative sample is one that is similar in important characteristics to the population it is drawn from, which increases the likelihood that the survey results accurately reflect the views of the entire population. Therefore, the focus should be on whether the sample used in the survey is representative of the entire population of students at the campus.

Question 8

In a survey of 500 randomly selected respondents,360 respondents (72%)said they want the United Nations (U.N.)headquarters to remain in the United States.A TV news show conducted a call-in survey and asked the same question.Of the 186,000 who phoned in their response,124,620 people (67%)said they want the U.N.out of the United States.The most reasonable statement about these different findings is that

Accepted Answer

The findings for the randomly selected sample are more likely to represent the true views of the population because the sample was randomly selected, which reduces the risk of bias in the results. The call-in survey, on the other hand, suffers from self-selection bias since only those who are interested in the topic or have a strong opinion on it are likely to participate. Therefore, the results of the call-in survey are less likely to be representative of the population. The larger sample size of the call-in survey does not necessarily make it more representative since the quality of the sample matters more than the quantity.

Question 9

A sample is said to be representative when

Accepted Answer

A representative sample is one that exhibits the same distribution of characteristics as the population from which it was drawn. While a sponsoring organization may use sample data to sell a product and researchers may be interested in the opinions of people in the sample, these factors alone do not make the sample representative.

Question 10

In a simple random sample,every individual in the population

Accepted Answer

In a simple random sample, every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected to be in the sample. This is the only option that accurately describes a simple random sample. Option A is not true because not everyone in the population is guaranteed to complete the survey. Option C is not true because convenience sampling is not random and does not give everyone an equal chance of being selected. Option D is not true because there is a correct answer.

Question 11

A city used property tax records of homeowners to identify a sample of people to ask about recreational services at local parks.This survey would most likely be criticized for

Accepted Answer

The city using property tax records to identify a sample of people may introduce selection bias as this method may not capture all individuals who use the park and may exclude those who do not own property.

Question 12

A researcher conducts a survey using a randomly selected sample,but there is a low response rate for the survey.The researcher should

Accepted Answer

A low response rate means that the final sample may not represent the population. The researcher should examine the survey data to determine whether the final sample represents the population.

Question 13

The best approach for obtaining a representative sample when using stratified random sampling is to

Accepted Answer

The best approach for obtaining a representative sample when using stratified random sampling is to sample so that the proportion of respondents in the different strata represents the proportions in the population. This ensures that the sample is representative of the population in terms of the different strata or subgroups that exist within it. Sampling an equal number of respondents in the different strata (A) may not be appropriate if one stratum is much larger than another, and using random-digit dialing (B) may not be appropriate if the population is not evenly distributed across phone lines or has different communication preferences. Eliminating people from the sampling frame who are unlikely to return a completed survey (D) may introduce bias and can also affect the representativeness of the sample.

Question 14

A survey researcher chose to administer a survey using the Internet.This sample likely overrepresents people who own a computer and underrepresents people who don't own a computer.This problem in the researcher's survey is best described as

Accepted Answer

The problem with the survey is selection bias because it is only reaching people who have access to the Internet and own a computer, excluding those who do not have these resources. This could potentially skew the results of the survey and not accurately represent the population.

Question 15

Which of the following samples would be representative of a population that is 75% women and 25% men?

Accepted Answer

Each option maintains the 75% women to 25% men ratio, making all of them representative of the population described.

Question 16

A TV reporter interviewed several dozen people at the scene of a political demonstration about their opinions regarding the demonstration.The reporter searched for people on both sides of the issue.In the terminology of survey research,the reporter has gathered a

Accepted Answer

The reporter has gathered a convenience sample, as they have only interviewed people who happened to be at the scene of the political demonstration and may not represent a random sample of the population with opinions on the issue.

Question 17

When selecting a sample to best represent the population,probability sampling is _________ than nonprobability sampling.

Accepted Answer

Probability sampling involves random selection of individuals from the population, which increases the likelihood that the sample is representative of the population. Nonprobability sampling methods do not involve random selection, which can introduce bias and increase the chance that the sample is not representative of the population. Therefore, probability sampling is far superior to nonprobability sampling when selecting a sample to best represent the population.

Question 18

When the distribution of characteristics in a sample is systematically different from that of the target population,the sample is called a

Accepted Answer

A biased sample is one where the distribution of characteristics differs from that of the target population. This can occur when the sample is not chosen randomly, or when there are systematic differences in the characteristics of those who choose to participate in the study. A stratified sample is one in which the population is divided into subgroups or strata and a random sample is taken from each subgroup, which can help to ensure that the sample is representative. A representative sample is one that closely matches the target population in terms of key characteristics, such as age, gender, and ethnicity. Distorted sample is not a commonly used term in statistics.

Question 19

Mail surveys are particularly vulnerable to a problem that arises when not all respondents complete and return the survey.This problem is called

Accepted Answer

The problem described is low response rate, which occurs when only a small proportion of potential respondents complete and return the survey. Selection bias refers to a bias in the sample due to non-random selection, reactivity refers to a change in behavior due to being observed or studied, and social undesirability refers to respondents giving answers they perceive as more socially acceptable rather than their true beliefs or behaviors.

Question 20

Which of the following samples would represent a biased sample if a population comprised 40% freshmen,20% sophomores,20% juniors,and 20% seniors?

Accepted Answer

Option A is biased because it does not reflect the original population proportions; it treats each class year as equal, ignoring the original distribution.

Quiz 5: Survey Research