Chapter 4

Sampling and
Sampling
Distributions
University of Economics
Ho Chi Minh City

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Outline
• Normal Distribution
• Sampling
• Sampling Distribution of Sample Mean

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Normal Distribution
• Characteristics of a Normal Distribution:
It is a continuous distribution.
It is a symmetrical distribution about its mean.
It is asymptotic to the horizontal axis.
It is unimodal.
It is a family of curves.
Area under the curve is 1.
Example:
• Many human characteristics, such as height, weight, length, speed, IQ, scholastic achievement,
and years of life expectancy is normal distribution
• Living things in nature, such as trees, animals, insects, and others, have many characteristics that
are normally distributed.
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Normal Distribution
• Every unique pair of and values defines a different normal distribution.

=> every change in a parameter ( or)

determine is a different normal distribution.
ÞConvert normal distribution into
standardized normal distribution (Z distribution)

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Normal Distribution
• Standardized Normal Distribution:

A z score is the number of

standard deviations that a value,
x, is above or below the mean.

• The z distribution is a normal distribution with a mean

of 0 and a standard deviation of 1.
Example: In a recent year, the mean GMAT score was 494
and the standard deviation was about 100.What is the
probability that a randomly selected score from this
administration of the GMAT is between 600 and the
mean?
𝑥 − 𝜇 600 − 494
𝑧= = =1.06
𝜎 100
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Sampling
• Reasons for sampling:
-The sample can save money.
-The sample can save time.
-For given resources, the sample can broaden the scope of the study.
-Because the research process is sometimes destructive, the sample can save product.
-If accessing the population is impossible, the sample is the only option.
• Reasons for taking a census:
-To eliminate the possibility that by chance a randomly selected sample may not be representative
of the population
-For the safety of the consumer.

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Sampling
• Frame: is a list of target population that consists of the individuals, institutions, or entities that are the
object of investigation.
Example: school lists, trade association lists, company lists
• In theory, the target population and the frame are the same. In reality, the frame and the target
population are often different
• Frames that have overregistration contain the target population units plus some additional units.
• Frames that have underregistration contain fewer units than does the target population.

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Sampling
Random Versus Nonrandom Sampling
• Random sampling (probability sampling): every unit of the population has the same probability
of being selected into the sample.
-Simple random sampling
-Stratified random sampling
-Systematic random sampling
-Cluster random sampling
• Nonrandom sampling (nonprobability sampling): not every unit of the population has the same
probability of being selected into the sample.
-Convenience sampling
-Judgement sampling
-Quota sampling
-Snowball sampling
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Sampling
Random Sampling
• Simple Random Sampling:
67479814 9975 3189 9295 5687
Step 1: each unit of the frame is numbered from 1 to N (where N is
21446320 2987 5280 1855 2354
the size of the population) 505792 1786 2101 820 4412
Step 2: a table of random numbers is used to select n items into the 77427501 5980 3025 3929 7321
sample. 96009996 6500 4480 3248 4430
36151836 10 140 4508 4903
46301616 6807 5450 2350 5275
73044901 2056 8887 2547 9428
26535551 6682 7617 273 9182
48379757 2100 7243 6247 1013

Advantage: easier to perform on small

populations.
Disadvantage: electing items is
cumbersome for large populations.
Sample: General Electric, Lubrizol...
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Sampling
Random Sampling
• Stratified Random Sampling:
Step 1: population is divided into nonoverlapping subpopulations called strata.
Step 2: extracts a random sample from each of the subpopulations.
Proportionate stratified random sampling:
when the percentage of the sample taken from each
stratum is proportionate to the percentage that each
stratum is within the whole population.
Disproportionate stratified random sampling:
Whenever the proportions of the strata in the sample
are different from the proportions of the strata in the
population
Advantage: reducing sampling error.
Disadvantage: more costly than simple random
sampling
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Sampling
Random Sampling
• Systematic Random Sampling:
Step 1: each unit of the frame is numbered from 1 to N (where N is
the size of the population)
𝑘=𝑁 /𝑛
Step 2: calculate: n=sample size, N=population size,
k=size of interval for selection
Step 3: select every kth item into the sample

Example: sampling from a company list of 2,000 retailers in

China.
Step 1: assign a number to each retailer. (0001=Jindong,
0002=Taobao, 0003=Lotus...) Advantage: convenient and easy
Disadvantage: systematic sampling problem
Step 2: suppose we sample 450 retailers from the list =>
k=N/n=2,000/450=4.45
Step 3: select every 4th value into the sample
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Sampling
Random Sampling
• Cluster (Area) Sampling:
Step 1: dividing the population into nonoverlapping areas, or
clusters (geographic regions)
Step 2: randomly selecting clusters from the population, either
selecting all elements of the chosen clusters or randomly
selecting individual elements into the sample from the clusters.

Advantage: convenience and cost

Disadvantage: If the elements of a cluster are similar,
cluster sampling may be statistically less efficient than
simple random sampling.
Problems of statistical analysis are greater with cluster
sampling than with simple random sampling.

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Sampling
Nonrandom Sampling

• Convenience Sampling: elements for the sample are selected for the convenience of the
researcher.
• Judgment Sampling: elements selected for the sample are chosen by the judgment of the
researcher.
• Quota Sampling: population is divided into nonoverlapping subpopulations. However, instead
of randomly sampling from each stratum, the researcher uses a nonrandom sampling method to
gather data from one stratum until the desired quota of samples is filled.
• Snowball Sampling: survey subjects are selected based on referral from other survey
respondents.
• Sampling Error: occurs when the sample is not representative of the population.
• Nonsampling Error: All errors other than sampling errors.

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Sampling Distribution of Sample Mean
• Central Limit Theorem: If samples of size n are drawn randomly from a population that has a
mean of μ and a standard deviation of σ, the sample means, , are approximately normally
distributed for sufficiently large sample sizes (n≥30) regardless of the shape of the population
distribution. If the population is normally distributed, the sample means are normally distributed
for any size sample.
𝜇 𝑥 =𝜇 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜎 𝑥 = 𝜎 / √ 𝑛

Sample 1 (n≥30)=>calculate

Sample 2 (n≥30)=>calculate

𝑥1 𝜇 𝑥 =𝜇 𝑥𝑛𝑥2
Sample n (n≥30)=>calculate
𝜎 𝑥 =𝜎 / √ 𝑛

𝑃𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝜇,𝜎 Dang Van Thac 11/15