STA TUTORIAL CHAPTER 1

1. What are the two major types of statistics?

Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics

2. For each statement, state whether descriptive or inferential statistics:

a) The average life expectancy in New Zealand is 78.49 years.
descriptive
b) A researcher founded that there is positive relationship between salary and food
expenditure.
inferential
c) The price of shirt Shopping Complex B is more consistent as compared to price of
shirt Shopping Complex C.
descriptive
d) There is significantly difference to shows that female gain more salary than male.
descriptive
e) The total population in Malaysia is stated in 2010 is 24 million people.
descriptive

3. What level of measurement would be to measure each variable?

a) The ages of patients in a local hospital
interval
b) The ratings of movies released this month
ordinal (ranking)
c) Colours of athletic shirts sold by Oak Park Health Club
nominal
d) Temperatures of hot tubs in local health clubs
interval
e) Rating of text book (poor, fair, good, excellent)
ordinal
f) Ranking of golfers in a tournament
ordinal
4. Classify each sample as random, systematic, stratified, cluster, or other.

a) To check accuracy of a machine that is used for filling ice cream container, every 20th
bottle is selected and weighed.

systematic

b) In a large school district, a researcher number all the full-time teachers and then randomly
selects 30 teachers to be interviewed.

random

c) Out of hospital in a municipality, a researcher selects one and collects records for a 24-
hour period on the types of emergencies that were treated here.

convenience

d) A researcher divides a group of students according to gender, major field, and low,
average, and high grade point average. Then she randomly selects six students from each
group to answer questions in a survey.

cluster

e) The subscribers to a magazine are numbered. Then a sample of these people is selected
using random number

random

5. Identify two methods for obtaining a simple random sample

The researcher first needs a sampling frame or a list of the population. Then random
numbers are generated to determine which elements are to be selected as a sample.
The random numbers may be generated by using a computer routine or by using a
table of random numbers.

6. Suppose the following information is obtained from students upon existing from the
campus bookstore during the first week of classes. Identify the types of variables used and
also the corresponding scales of measurements.

a) Amount of money spent on books

quantitative continuous , ratio

b) Number of textbooks purchased

quantitative discrete , interval

c) Amount of time spent shopping in the bookstore.

quantitative continuous, ratio

d) Program enrolled

qualitative, nominal

e) Number of credits registered in the current semester

quantitave discrete, ratio

f) Method of payment

qualitative, nominal

7. The WRG Manufacturing Company makes electric wiring, which it sells to contractors in
the construction industry. Approximately 900 electrical contractors purchase the wire from
WRG annually. WRG’s director of marketing wants to determine the electrical contractor’s
satisfaction with WRG’s wire. He develops a questionnaire that yields a satisfaction score
from 10 to 50 for participant responses. A random sample of 35 of the 900 contractors is
asked to complete a satisfaction survey. The satisfaction scores for the 35 participants are
averaged to produce a mean satisfaction score.

i. State the population for the above study

All electrical contractors who purchase the wire from WRG Manufacturing Company.

ii. Does the study involve primary or secondary data? Give a reason to support your answer.

Primary data because questionnaire is the sources that presents first-hand

information.

iii. Name any THREE (3) variables from the above study. For each variable chosen, state its
type and the most appropriate graphical presentation.

1) level of satisfaction electrical contractors with WRG’s wire

Types - Qualitative
Level of measurement – ordinal
2) average to produce a mean satisfaction score
Types - Quantitative
Level of measurement – ratio
8. The local cable television company is planning to add one channel to its basic services.
There are five channels to choose from, and the company would like to have some input
from 2000 subscribers. There are about 20,000 subscribers in Malaysia and the company
knows that 35% of the subscribers are college students, 45% are white-collar worker, 15%
are blue-collar workers and 5% are others. However, the company believes that there is
much variation within these groups.

i. State the population

All subscribers of local cable television company in Malaysia

ii. What is the sampling frame?

The subscribers’ names of population in the particular categorize

iii. What is sampling unit?

Sampling unit refers to an individual person.

iv. What is the most suitable sampling technique to be used? Why?

Stratified sampling because population is categorized comprised of 35% of the subscribers

are college students, 45% are white-collar workers, 15% are blue-collar workers and 5% are
others. and sample of 2000 patients randomly selected.

v. Determine the appropriate data collection method and state one disadvantage.

Telephone interview (assuming everyone has telephones). The disadvantage is that the
response rates are normally lower than face-to-face interviews. Only a few questions can be
asked through telephone interview as it may not be convenient for respondents to answer
too many questions.
PYQ DEC18
a) Customers who use the 40 services centers throughout Malaysia.
b) Variable of interest – level of customer satisfaction with the service provided by the
company’s service centers.
Type – qualitative
Level of measurement – ordinal
c) Cluster sampling because randomly selected 8 from 40 service centers and
questionnaires are disseminated to all customers who service their car at these 8 selected
service centers on one selected day.

PYQ DEC19
a) All married couples in Teluk Intan.
b) List of all couples from 4 districts
b) Variable of interest – factors that contributed to the marriage problems
c) Level of measurement – ordinal
d) Cluster sampling because 500 randomly selected couples from four districts.

PYQ JUNE19
a) All students in Medical College X
b) List of students in 50 classes
c) Variable of interest – level of student satisfaction towards service provided by Academic
Affairs.
Types - Qualitative
Level of measurement – ordinal
d) Cluster sampling because they choose random sample of 10 class out of 50 class, they
choose all students from the selected classes.
PYQ JUL20
a) All patients who diagnosed with diabetes disease in Hospital XXX
b) Stratified sampling because population is categorized comprised of 400, 550, 250 and
sample of 230 patients randomly selected.
c) Variable of interest – effect of obesity toward three different diabetes disease categories
among patients.
Types - Qualitative
Level of measurement – ordinal
PYQ FEB21
a) Population : All undergraduates students from QQ University
Sample : 150 students selected randomly from each faculty
b) List of all students’ names arranged alphabetically
c) Variable of interest
1) average monthly expenditure on foods from each faculty
Types - Quantitative
Level of measurement – ratio
2) types of foods purchased by students
Types - Qualitative
Level of measurement – nominal