"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 Your Answer: data collection. Correct Answer: sampling. 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 Your Answer: accessible population. Correct Answer: sample. 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 Your Answer: sample. Correct Answer: accessible population. 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 Your Answer: representation of specific subgroups in the population. Correct Answer: representativeness of the sample. 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? Your Answer: All of these

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? Your Answer: Some members of the sample might not be in the population. Correct Answer: Some members of the population would not have an 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? Your Answer: Systematic sampling Correct Answer: Purposive sampling 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? Your Answer: Select about 60 subjects for a two-group experimental design. Correct Answer: Select a maximum of 20 subjects for correlational 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? Your Answer: 18 (20%) subjects Correct Answer: 90 (100%) subjects 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? Your Answer: Convenience Correct Answer: Random 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? Your Answer: All of these.

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? Your Answer: Systematic sampling Correct Answer: Stratified random sampling 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? Your Answer: A superintendent wants to be sure she selects teachers 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 Answer: All of these. 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? Your Answer: Number of siblings in the home

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? Your Answer: Cluster Correct Answer: Non-proportional stratified random 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 Your Answer: multi-stage cluster.

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? Your Answer: Systematic

18.

Which of the following concerns is MOST likely to become a problem if Ms. Bellau uses purposive sampling techniques? Your Answer: Selection of participants who are thought to be informative, articulate, and experienced with the research topic and setting Correct Answer: Generalizability to the population 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? Your Answer: Generalizability is a concern. Correct Answer: Students have already been assigned to classes. 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? Your Answer: All of these

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? Your Answer: Convenience

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? Your Answer: Random Correct Answer: Purposive 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? Your Answer: Stratified Correct Answer: Quota 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 Your Answer: randomly selecting 10% of the population. Correct Answer: randomly selecting large samples from the population. 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? Your Answer: Stratification Correct Answer: Sampling bias Using a pre-existing groupespecially one that is readily available and attuned to the interests of the researcheris 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 Your Answer: All of these Correct Answer: Qualitative sampling 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? Your Answer: All of these

28.

Which type of sampling strategy is exemplified by selecting two types of individualsthose who are extremely happy and those who are extremely sad. Your Answer: Purposive Correct Answer: Intensity 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 allstar baseball players for his sample? Your Answer: Quota Correct Answer: Criterion 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? Your Answer: Quota Correct Answer: Criterion 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? Your Answer: Criterion Correct Answer: Snowball 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? Your Answer: Quota

Correct Answer: Snowballing 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? Your Answer: Random purposive

34.

Which of the following characteristics clearly differentiates probability and purposive sampling? Your Answer: More than one technique can be used to select a sample with either approach. Correct Answer: Probability sampling starts with a defined population 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? Your Answer: Continue to sample until her quota is reached Correct Answer: Stop sampling Once there is redundancy of information there is little reason to continue sampling.