1. A researcher uses an anonymous survey to investigate the television-viewing habits of
American adolescents. The entire group of American adolescents is an example of a _________.
a. sample
b. statistic
c. population
d. parameter
ANSWER: c
2. A researcher uses an anonymous survey to investigate the television-viewing habits of
American adolescents. Based on the set of 356 surveys that were completed and returned,
the researcher finds that these students spend an average of 3.1 hours each day watching
television. For this study, the set of 356 students who returned surveys is an example of a
_______.
a. parameter
b. statistic
c. population
d. sample
ANSWER: d
3. A researcher uses an anonymous survey to investigate the television-viewing habits of
American adolescents. The goal of the research is to determine the average number of
hours each day that American adolescents spend watching television. The researcher is
trying to determine a number that is an example of a _____.
a. parameter
b. statistic
c. population
d. sample
ANSWER: a
,4. A researcher is interested in the eating behavior of rats and selects a group of 25 rats to be
tested in a research study. The group of 25 rats is an example of a ______.
a. sample
b. statistic
c. population
d. parameter
ANSWER: a
5. A researcher is curious about the average monthly cell phone bill for high school students in
the state of Florida. If this average could be obtained, it would be an example of a ______.
a. sample
b. statistic
c. population
d. parameter
ANSWER: d
6. Although a research study is typically conducted with a relatively small group of
participants known as a _________, most researchers hope to generalize their results to a
much larger group known as a _________.
a. sample; population
b. statistic; sample
c. population; sample
d. parameter; population
ANSWER: a
7. The relationship between a statistic and a parameter is the same as the relationship
between ______.
a. a sample and a population
, b. a statistic and a parameter
c. a parameter and a population
d. descriptive statistics and inferential statistics
ANSWER: a
8. Organizing a set of scores in a table is an example of using _______.
a. parameters
b. statistics
c. descriptive statistics
d. inferential statistics
ANSWER: c
9. A characteristic, usually a numerical value, which describes a sample is called a
_______.
a. parameter
b. statistic
c. variable
d. constant
ANSWER: b
10. A researcher records the change in weight (gained or lost) during the first semester of
college for each individual in a group of 25 freshmen, then calculates the average change
in weight. The average is an example of a _______.
a. parameter
b. statistic
c. variable
d. constant
, ANSWER: b
11. The average verbal SAT score for the entire class of entering freshmen is 530.
However, if you select a sample of 20 freshmen and compute their average verbal SAT
score you probably will not get exactly 530. What statistical concept is used to explain
the natural difference that exists between a sample mean and the corresponding
population mean?
a. Statistical error
b. Inferential error
c. Sampling error
d. Parametric error
ANSWER: c
12. A researcher conducts an experiment to determine whether moderate doses of St. John's Wort
have any effect of memory for college students. For this study, what is the independent variable?
a. The amount of St. John’s Wort given to each participant
b. The memory score for each participant
c. The group of college students
d. Cannot answer without more information
ANSWER: a
13. A recent study reports that students who just finished playing a prosocial video game
were more likely to help others than students who had played a neutral or antisocial
game. For this study, what is the independent variable?
a. The students who were given the prosocial game
b. The students who were given the neutral or antisocial game
c. The kind of game given to the students
d. The helping behavior of the students
American adolescents. The entire group of American adolescents is an example of a _________.
a. sample
b. statistic
c. population
d. parameter
ANSWER: c
2. A researcher uses an anonymous survey to investigate the television-viewing habits of
American adolescents. Based on the set of 356 surveys that were completed and returned,
the researcher finds that these students spend an average of 3.1 hours each day watching
television. For this study, the set of 356 students who returned surveys is an example of a
_______.
a. parameter
b. statistic
c. population
d. sample
ANSWER: d
3. A researcher uses an anonymous survey to investigate the television-viewing habits of
American adolescents. The goal of the research is to determine the average number of
hours each day that American adolescents spend watching television. The researcher is
trying to determine a number that is an example of a _____.
a. parameter
b. statistic
c. population
d. sample
ANSWER: a
,4. A researcher is interested in the eating behavior of rats and selects a group of 25 rats to be
tested in a research study. The group of 25 rats is an example of a ______.
a. sample
b. statistic
c. population
d. parameter
ANSWER: a
5. A researcher is curious about the average monthly cell phone bill for high school students in
the state of Florida. If this average could be obtained, it would be an example of a ______.
a. sample
b. statistic
c. population
d. parameter
ANSWER: d
6. Although a research study is typically conducted with a relatively small group of
participants known as a _________, most researchers hope to generalize their results to a
much larger group known as a _________.
a. sample; population
b. statistic; sample
c. population; sample
d. parameter; population
ANSWER: a
7. The relationship between a statistic and a parameter is the same as the relationship
between ______.
a. a sample and a population
, b. a statistic and a parameter
c. a parameter and a population
d. descriptive statistics and inferential statistics
ANSWER: a
8. Organizing a set of scores in a table is an example of using _______.
a. parameters
b. statistics
c. descriptive statistics
d. inferential statistics
ANSWER: c
9. A characteristic, usually a numerical value, which describes a sample is called a
_______.
a. parameter
b. statistic
c. variable
d. constant
ANSWER: b
10. A researcher records the change in weight (gained or lost) during the first semester of
college for each individual in a group of 25 freshmen, then calculates the average change
in weight. The average is an example of a _______.
a. parameter
b. statistic
c. variable
d. constant
, ANSWER: b
11. The average verbal SAT score for the entire class of entering freshmen is 530.
However, if you select a sample of 20 freshmen and compute their average verbal SAT
score you probably will not get exactly 530. What statistical concept is used to explain
the natural difference that exists between a sample mean and the corresponding
population mean?
a. Statistical error
b. Inferential error
c. Sampling error
d. Parametric error
ANSWER: c
12. A researcher conducts an experiment to determine whether moderate doses of St. John's Wort
have any effect of memory for college students. For this study, what is the independent variable?
a. The amount of St. John’s Wort given to each participant
b. The memory score for each participant
c. The group of college students
d. Cannot answer without more information
ANSWER: a
13. A recent study reports that students who just finished playing a prosocial video game
were more likely to help others than students who had played a neutral or antisocial
game. For this study, what is the independent variable?
a. The students who were given the prosocial game
b. The students who were given the neutral or antisocial game
c. The kind of game given to the students
d. The helping behavior of the students
