UCSB COMM 88 COMPREHENSIVE
EXAMINATION 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
◉ What are the pros and cons of Multistage Cluster Sampling?
Answer: Pros: useful for populations where individuals are not listed
(ex: very large pop), reduces costs when sampling
Cons: sampling error accumulates from each stage
◉ What is the main idea of Multistage Cluster Sampling?
Answer: To break population down and sample in stages.
◉ What is done in Single-stage Cluster Sampling?
Answer: Define groups within larger population (clusters) then
randomly sample them
◉ What is an example of combining sampling techniques?
Answer: multistage clustering with stratified sampling (e.g. when
sampling HS clusters, stratify for private vs. public)
◉ How do you construct a sampling frame?
,Answer: *not a sample of anything
Plan/give an operational definition for the target population
◉ What is coverage error?
Answer: When sampling frame doesn't perfectly fit the target
population
◉ When can you generalize to a larger target population?
Answer: When random sampling is done properly.
◉ What is the ecological fallacy?
Answer: Making unwarranted assertions about individuals based on
group observations
◉ What is systematic error/sampling bias? What causes it?
Answer: Over- or under-representing certain segments of the
population systematically
Caused by low response rate, imperfect sampling frame, and using
non-representative sampling methods
◉ What kind of sampling is this? when "who" is being sampled is
more important than giving everyone an equal chance
,Answer: Non-representative sampling aka non-probability sampling
◉ What are the 4 types of non-representational sampling
techniques?
Answer: Convenience sample
Purposive sample
Volunteer sample
Network/Snowball sample
◉ What is convenience sampling?
Answer: Selecting individuals that are available/handy
◉ What is purposive sampling?
Answer: Selecting individuals for a special reason (e.g. their
characteristics)
◉ What is volunteer sampling?
Answer: People select themselves to be included in a study
◉ What is network/snowball sampling?
Answer: Individuals are selected for the study who contact other
similar individuals to be in the study, who contact others and so on...
, ◉ What are the primary goals of a survey?
Answer: 1. Identify/describe attitudes or behaviors in a given target
population
2. Examine relationships b/w the variables measured
Does one factor (X) predict/relate to an outcome(Y)?
Do (X1, X2, X3, etc) predict (Y)?
◉ What are the 4 steps of survey research?
Answer: 1. Establish the goals of the study
2. Determine the sample
3. Construct survey questionnaire
4. Administer questionnaire
◉ What are the types of survey questions?
Answer: Factual, cognitive beliefs, affective feelings, reported
behavior, personal characteristics, demographic criteria,
communication networks
◉ What is a cross-sectional survey?
Answer: Using different groups of people who differ in the variable
of interest
One sample taken at one point in time
EXAMINATION 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
◉ What are the pros and cons of Multistage Cluster Sampling?
Answer: Pros: useful for populations where individuals are not listed
(ex: very large pop), reduces costs when sampling
Cons: sampling error accumulates from each stage
◉ What is the main idea of Multistage Cluster Sampling?
Answer: To break population down and sample in stages.
◉ What is done in Single-stage Cluster Sampling?
Answer: Define groups within larger population (clusters) then
randomly sample them
◉ What is an example of combining sampling techniques?
Answer: multistage clustering with stratified sampling (e.g. when
sampling HS clusters, stratify for private vs. public)
◉ How do you construct a sampling frame?
,Answer: *not a sample of anything
Plan/give an operational definition for the target population
◉ What is coverage error?
Answer: When sampling frame doesn't perfectly fit the target
population
◉ When can you generalize to a larger target population?
Answer: When random sampling is done properly.
◉ What is the ecological fallacy?
Answer: Making unwarranted assertions about individuals based on
group observations
◉ What is systematic error/sampling bias? What causes it?
Answer: Over- or under-representing certain segments of the
population systematically
Caused by low response rate, imperfect sampling frame, and using
non-representative sampling methods
◉ What kind of sampling is this? when "who" is being sampled is
more important than giving everyone an equal chance
,Answer: Non-representative sampling aka non-probability sampling
◉ What are the 4 types of non-representational sampling
techniques?
Answer: Convenience sample
Purposive sample
Volunteer sample
Network/Snowball sample
◉ What is convenience sampling?
Answer: Selecting individuals that are available/handy
◉ What is purposive sampling?
Answer: Selecting individuals for a special reason (e.g. their
characteristics)
◉ What is volunteer sampling?
Answer: People select themselves to be included in a study
◉ What is network/snowball sampling?
Answer: Individuals are selected for the study who contact other
similar individuals to be in the study, who contact others and so on...
, ◉ What are the primary goals of a survey?
Answer: 1. Identify/describe attitudes or behaviors in a given target
population
2. Examine relationships b/w the variables measured
Does one factor (X) predict/relate to an outcome(Y)?
Do (X1, X2, X3, etc) predict (Y)?
◉ What are the 4 steps of survey research?
Answer: 1. Establish the goals of the study
2. Determine the sample
3. Construct survey questionnaire
4. Administer questionnaire
◉ What are the types of survey questions?
Answer: Factual, cognitive beliefs, affective feelings, reported
behavior, personal characteristics, demographic criteria,
communication networks
◉ What is a cross-sectional survey?
Answer: Using different groups of people who differ in the variable
of interest
One sample taken at one point in time
