"Practice Quiz"

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1. The process of selecting a number of participants for a study in such a

way that they represent the larger group from which they were selected
is known as

data collection.
Your Answer:
Correct sampling.
Answer:

  This is the definition of sampling in a quantitative context.

2. Mr. Norris is studying the effects of two innovative instructional

strategies on student achievement. He randomly selected 60 students
from the 1,512 students in his community college to participate in the
study. These 60 students are referred to most appropriately as the

accessible population.
Your Answer:
Correct sample.
Answer:

  This is an example of selecting a sample from a larger population. The

1,512 students are the population, and the 60 students are the sample
selected from it.

3. Mr. Gallagher is conducting a study of college freshmen in Louisiana.

He has been able to compile a list of every freshman enrolled in the
state supported universities, but the information on students attending
private universities is not available to him. The students on his list are
referred to as the

sample.
Your Answer:
 Correct accessible population.
Answer:

  Mr. Gallagher's list contains some, but not all, of the freshmen in
Louisiana. Because every freshman is not included, he is working with
an accessible population. If he had a list of all of the students attending
private universities as well as those enrolled in state supported
universities, he would have the target population.

4. The purpose of random sampling is to ensure

representation of specific subgroups in the population.

Your Answer:
Correct representativeness of the sample.
Answer:

  This is a concise statement of the purpose of all quantitative sampling

techniques.

5. Which of the following is a basic step in selecting a sample from a

population regardless of the specific technique being used?

All of these
Your
Answer:

6. Ms. LeBlanc has defined her population and listed most of the members
of that population. Why is it necessary for her to continue to identify all
of the members before beginning to randomly select her sample?

Some members of the sample might not be in the

Your Answer: population.
Correct Some members of the population would not have an
Answer: equal chance of being in the sample.

  Identifying every individual who meets the criteria for being included in
the population makes it possible for each individual to have an equal
chance to be selected in the sample. If someone in the population is not
 identified, they have no chance whatsoever of being selected.

7. Which of the following is NOT a random sampling technique?

Systematic sampling
Your Answer:
Correct Purposive sampling
Answer:

  Purposive sampling is a non-random (i.e., non-probability) sampling

technique. All of the other alternatives are techniques reflecting
probability techniques.

8. Which of the following is NOT a general rule for determining sample

size?

Select about 60 subjects for a two-group experimental

Your Answer: design.
Correct Select a maximum of 20 subjects for correlational
Answer: research designs.

  Very rarely does a rule for determining sample size discuss a maximum
number of subjects. Researchers generally work under a rule suggesting
the larger the size of the sample the better.

9. Which sample size would you recommend for a survey if the population
consists of 90 subjects?

18 (20%) subjects
Your Answer:
Correct 90 (100%) subjects
Answer:

  For populations of less than 100 subjects the authors recommend using
everyone in the population.
10 Which type of sampling procedure should Ms. Weber use to draw a
. sample that is not biased?

Convenience
Your Answer:
Correct Random
Answer:

  A random sampling is very likely to be representative of the population

from which it is drawn. There should not be any bias in the sample.

11 Which of the following is an advantage of random sampling?

.
All of these.
Your
Answer:

12 Ms. Washington is investigating teachers' attitudes toward year-round

. schooling. She is particularly interested in describing the attitudes of
teachers from small, medium, and large schools. Which sampling
procedure should be used by Ms. Washington to ensure her sample is
representative of these types of schools?

Systematic sampling
Your Answer:
Correct Stratified random sampling
Answer:

  The purpose of stratifying a sample is to make sure certain subgroups,

such as the levels of schools, are represented in the sample.

13 In which of the following situations would stratified sampling be

. recommended?

A superintendent wants to be sure she selects teachers

Your Answer: from elementary, middle/junior high, and high
schools in numbers that are equal to the proportions of
teachers in these types of school in her district.
 Correct All of these.
Answer:

  Each of the alternatives expresses a need to represent specific sub-

groups of the population in the sample. This is the purpose of stratified
random sampling.

14 Which of the following is NOT likely to be used to stratify a sample for

. a study investigating the use of a computerized algebra program?

Number of siblings in the home

Your
Answer:

15 When a principal selects a sample of 30 subjects from each of the

. grades in her school, she is likely using which type of sampling
technique?

Cluster
Your Answer:
Correct Non-proportional stratified random
Answer:

  It is likely there are different numbers of students in each of the grades

in this school, and the fact that the principal is selecting 30 subjects
from each grade suggests she is using equal size, or non-proportional,
stratified random sampling.

16 Suppose Mr. North randomly selected school districts from the state,
. randomly selected schools from within those selected districts, and
randomly selected U.S. History classes from within those schools. His
sampling technique is best described as

multi-stage cluster.
Your
Answer:
17 Mr. Marino has compiled a list of 1,348 students in his high school. He
. has selected a sample of 42 students by choosing every 14th student on
this list. Which type of sampling is he using?

Systematic
Your
Answer:

18 Which of the following concerns is MOST likely to become a problem

. if Ms. Bellau uses purposive sampling techniques?

Selection of participants who are thought to be

Your Answer: informative, articulate, and experienced with the
research topic and setting
Correct Generalizability to the population
Answer:

  Generalizability is the foremost concern when using non-random

sampling techniques, of which purposive sampling is one.

19 Which of the following is a logical reason for using non-random

. sampling?

Generalizability is a concern.
Your Answer:
Correct Students have already been assigned to classes.
Answer:

  Representation and generalizability are always a concern in quantitative

research. Non-random sampling does not assure equivalent groups; in
fact it raises the question of group equivalency. The fact that students
have already been assigned to a class is a real problem if the researcher
wanted to use random sampling techniques; the only logical sampling
techniques in this situation are non-random.

20 Which of the following is a concern with using non-random sampling

. techniques?
 All of these
Your
Answer:

21 Dr. Wise has chosen to use four classes of sixth grade students in a local
. school because he has an excellent relationship with the principal and
teachers in that school. Which sampling technique is he likely to use?

Convenience
Your
Answer:

22 Dr. Gaffney chose to conduct her study in a school known for its
. effectiveness as measured by very high standardized test scores. Which
sampling technique did she use in selecting this school?

Random
Your Answer:
Correct Purposive
Answer:

  Assuming Dr. Gaffney needed a school with these characteristics for

her study, she used purposive sampling to select this particular one.

23 Dr. Waterman was told to select his sample in a manner to assure there
. were at least 10 foreign language teachers, 10 health teachers, 15 art
teachers, and 15 music teachers. Which non-random sampling technique
should he use?

Stratified
Your Answer:
Correct Quota
Answer:

  Requiring Dr. Waterman to have specific numbers of teachers working

in specific areas in an example of quota sampling. Stratified sampling is
a random sampling technique, so it is not an appropriate response.
24 Sampling error is controlled by
.
randomly selecting 10% of the population.
Your Answer:
Correct randomly selecting large samples from the population.
Answer:

  Sampling error is really out of the control of the researcher, but

selecting large samples is likely to minimize any problems associated
with it.

25 When Dr. Paradise uses only those graduate students who earned an 'A'
. in his educational research class, he is likely going to have a problem
with which of the following?

Stratification
Your Answer:
Correct Sampling bias
Answer:

  Using a pre-existing group—especially one that is readily available and

attuned to the interests of the researcher—is likely going to create a
biased sample.

26 When Dr. Miller selects a small number of individuals for a study in

. such a way that the chosen individuals will be able to help her
understand the phenomenon under investigation, she is using

All of these
Your Answer:
Correct Qualitative sampling
Answer:

  This is a good example of selecting a sample on the basis of the

participant's ability to help the researcher understand the phenomenon
of interest. There are several qualitative sampling techniques that could
be used in this situation.
27 Which of the following characteristics suggests using a qualitative
. sampling technique?

All of these
Your
Answer:

28 Which type of sampling strategy is exemplified by selecting two types

. of individuals—those who are extremely happy and those who are
extremely sad.

Purposive
Your Answer:
Correct Intensity
Answer:

  When researchers use intensity sampling as defined by the authors, they

select participants with extreme perspectives, opinions, attitudes, etc.

29 Which sampling technique is Coach Long using when he selects only

. all-star baseball players for his sample?

Quota
Your Answer:
Correct Criterion
Answer:

  The selection of players that met certain standards (i.e., being an all-
star) is an example of setting a criterion and selecting only participants
who meet that standard.

30 Which sampling technique is Dr. Shealy using when he selects only

. students who have been held back one or more years?

Quota
Your Answer:
 Correct Criterion
Answer:

  The selection of students that met certain standards (i.e., having

repeated at least one grade) is an example of setting a criterion and
selecting only participants who meet that standard.

31 Which sampling technique is Dr. Alexander using when he uses the

. advice of several participants to contact others who might participate in
his study?

Criterion
Your Answer:
Correct Snowball
Answer:

  Relying on the advice of others to be led in the direction of participants

that can help understand the phenomenon of interest is an example of
snowball sampling.

32 Which type of sampling strategy is exemplified by selecting specific

. principals because faculty and colleagues believe them to be highly
effective?

Quota
Your Answer:
Correct Snowballing
Answer:

  This is an example of several sources leading the researcher to

participants that have the qualities being examined in the study. It is an
example of snowball sampling.

33 Which sampling procedure is Dr. Helms using when he randomly

. selects 15 of the 25 subjects identified through purposive sampling?

Random purposive
Your
 Answer:

34 Which of the following characteristics clearly differentiates probability

. and purposive sampling?

More than one technique can be used to select a

Your Answer: sample with either approach.
Correct Probability sampling starts with a defined population
Answer: and selects a sample from it, while non-probability
sampling starts with a sample and defines the
population relative to the characteristic of that sample.

  The use of a population and selecting a sample from it is an important

characteristic of any probability sampling technique. All non-
probability samples have unknown, or at least undefined, populations
making it important to infer what the population looks like from the
characteristics of the sample.

35 Ms. Landry has begun to hear the same things from each additional
. participant she interviews. What would you advise her to do in terms of
her sample size?

Continue to sample until her quota is reached

Your Answer:
Correct Stop sampling
Answer:

  Once there is redundancy of information there is little reason to

continue sampling.