1. Sample Surveys in the Real World
Chapter 4
Sample Surveys in the Real World

2. How Sample Surveys Go Wrong
Margin of error accounts for
random sampling errors
nonsampling errors
bias

3. How Sample Surveys Go Wrong (answer)
Margin of error accounts for
random sampling errors (correct)
nonsampling errors
bias

4. Sampling Errors 1
A Fox News opinion poll wanted the opinion of U.S. adults on the state of the economy. It surveyed 1072 U.S. adults chosen from a list of registered voters.
Identify the sampling frame.
all U.S. adults
list of registered voters
1072 adults surveyed

5. Sampling Errors 1 (answer)
A Fox News opinion poll wanted the opinion of U.S. adults on the state of the economy. It surveyed 1072 U.S. adults chosen from a list of registered voters.
Identify the sampling frame.
all U.S. adults
list of registered voters (correct)
1072 adults surveyed

6. Sampling Errors 2
A Fox News opinion poll wanted the opinion of U.S. adults on the state of the economy. It surveyed 1072 U.S. adults chosen from a list of registered voters.
Using a list of registered voters for its sample leaves out all the adults who are not registered to vote.
This is an important error called
nonsampling error
random sampling error
sampling frame
undercoverage

7. Sampling Errors 2 (answer)
A Fox News opinion poll wanted the opinion of U.S. adults on the state of the economy. It surveyed 1072 U.S. adults chosen from a list of registered voters.
Using a list of registered voters for its sample leaves out all the adults who are not registered to vote.
This is an important error called
nonsampling error
random sampling error
sampling frame
undercoverage (correct)

8. Nonsampling Errors 1
Fox News surveyed 1072 US adults chosen from a list of registered voters. The poll had to call several thousand individuals before it got a response from the 1072 who participated.
We would say this poll suffers from
response error
nonresponse error
processing error
undercoverage

9. Nonsampling Errors 1 (answer)
Fox News surveyed 1072 US adults chosen from a list of registered voters. The poll had to call several thousand individuals before it got a response from the 1072 who participated.
We would say this poll suffers from
response error
nonresponse error (correct)
processing error
undercoverage 9

10. Nonsampling Errors 2
It is widely known that respondents to surveys will not be honest when asked “sensitive questions”—that is, questions they may be embarrassed to answer truthfully.
Surveys containing sensitive questions suffer from
response error
nonresponse error
processing error
undercoverage

11. Nonsampling Errors 2 (answer)
It is widely known that respondents to surveys will not be honest when asked “sensitive questions”—that is, questions they may be embarrassed to answer truthfully.
Surveys containing sensitive questions suffer from
response error (correct)
nonresponse error
processing error
undercoverage

12. Wording Questions 1
True or false: The wording of questions in a survey always influences answers.
TRUE
FALSE

13. Wording Questions 1 (answer)
True or false: The wording of questions in a survey always influences answers.
TRUE (correct)
FALSE

14. Wording Questions 2
A poorly worded question on a survey would be a type of
sampling error
nonsampling error
undercoverage
processing error

15. Wording Questions 2 (answer)
A poorly worded question on a survey would be a type of
sampling error
nonsampling error (correct)
undercoverage
processing error

16. How to Live with Nonsampling Errors
Identify how to deal with nonsampling errors.
Get a bigger sample size.
Throw out questions that suffer from errors.
Weight the responses.
(A) and (B).
(B) and (C).

17. How to Live with Nonsampling Errors (answer)
Identify how to deal with nonsampling errors.
Get a bigger sample size.
Throw out questions that suffer from errors.
Weight the responses. (correct)
(A) and (B).
(B) and (C).

18. Sample Design in the Real World 1
Primary sampling units (PSUs) in a survey are generally
strata
created randomly
groups of neighboring counties
created in the second stage of sampling

19. Sample Design in the Real World 1 (answer)
Primary sampling units (PSUs) in a survey are generally
strata
created randomly
groups of neighboring counties (correct)
created in the second stage of sampling

20. Sample Design in the Real World 2
Strata are groups formed based on
being close in location to one another
sharing similarities
being the primary sampling unit

21. Sample Design in the Real World 2 (answer)
Strata are groups formed based on
being close in location to one another
sharing similarities (correct)
being the primary sampling unit

22. Sample Design in the Real World 3
Use a stratified random sample to
make sure specific groups are represented
save time and resources
reduce margin of error
reduce bias
(A) and (C)

23. Sample Design in the Real World 3 (answer)
Use a stratified random sample to
make sure specific groups are represented
save time and resources
reduce margin of error
reduce bias
(A) and (C) (correct)

24. Sample Design in the Real World 4
In random cluster sampling
randomly select a few individuals from each cluster
randomly select a few clusters; everyone in a chosen cluster is interviewed

25. Sample Design in the Real World 4 (answer)
In random cluster sampling
randomly select a few individuals from each cluster
randomly select a few clusters; everyone in a chosen cluster is interviewed (correct)

26. The Challenge of Internet Surveys 1
Internet surveys ___ have an advantage over more traditional survey methods.
never
sometimes
always

27. The Challenge of Internet Surveys 1 (answer)
Internet surveys ___ have an advantage over more traditional survey methods.
never
sometimes (correct)
always

28. The Challenge of Internet Surveys 2
One Web survey method that avoids voluntary response is to
give a web option for responding along with other choices for ways to respond
use a panel of volunteers as your sampling frame as the Harris Poll does
use a paid ad on Facebook for your survey so that the link targets the correct audience

29. The Challenge of Internet Surveys 2 (answer)
One Web survey method that avoids voluntary response is to
give a web option for responding along with other choices for ways to respond (correct)
use a panel of volunteers as your sampling frame as the Harris Poll does
use a paid ad on Facebook for your survey so that the link targets the correct audience

30. Probability Samples A probability sample is
always a simple random sample
any sample chosen using chance
never a stratified random sample

31. Probability Samples (answer)
A probability sample is
always a simple random sample
any sample chosen using chance (correct)
never a stratified random sample

32. Questions to Ask before You Believe a Poll
If a large network news station publishes the results of a poll, you should
always believe the results because the network news would not risk their reputation by posting results that are not trustworthy
believe the results as long as the polling company uses random sampling
ask questions before you believe the results, such as sample size, who paid for the poll, etc.

33. Questions to Ask before You Believe a Poll (answer)
If a large network news station publishes the results of a poll, you should
always believe the results because the network news would not risk their reputation by posting results that are not trustworthy
believe the results as long as the polling company uses random sampling
ask questions before you believe the results, such as sample size, who paid for the poll, etc. (correct)