PS/CJ 3115 Research Methods – Dr.
Ruseva
PRACTICE FOR THE FINAL EXAM
x̄ mean (e.g.
1. The standard error of the mean is defined as the extent to which a sample
) differs by chance from the population mean µ. It is computed as: (Circle one)
a) δ/ µ
b) δ/ n
c) δ/√n
2. We discussed two probability distributions in class. One of them is the normal
distribution. What can you say about the following qualities of the normal distribution?
The normal distribution can be used to _____________________________
The normal distribution has a ___________________ curve.
The area under the curve corresponds to ____________________.
The normal distribution relies on standard scores, known as
_________________________
3. The Student’s t-distribution is used much in the same way as the normal distribution,
but it has some specific characteristics. What are they?
The t-distribution relies on scores, known as _______________________.
The t-distribution is a family of curves based on the sample size, and described by the
_________________________________.
The t-distribution can be used to _____________________________.
4. Which measure of average is most affected by outliers? (Circle one)
Median Mean Mode
5. When describing a distribution (like describing a pile of gravel), what two
facts/measures do we need?
________________________________ ___________________________________
6. What does this notation mean in words? Z-score is ______________________________
7. What does this notation mean in words? t-score is ______________________________
8. What does the p-value mean in words? ______________________________________
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9. A table that displays a summary of a variable’s values is called a _____________________.
10. Yes/ No Suppose you were to bet on the probability of finding a number (e.g. the
mean number of convictions in NC per year) that has a Z score greater than +1.96. Are
the odds with you?
11. The Pew Research Center conducted a survey of 1,678 registered voters, and found
that 59% of unmarried women support the president, while only 56% of unmarried men
express support for the president. The reported standard error was 0.015
a. Using the ± 2 rule of thumb, find the 95 % confidence interval for the proportion of
unmarried women who favor a Republican candidate?
b. Interpret the results.
12. I did a survey few semester ago about the policy issues PS & CJ students cared
about. On the issue of national defense and security, CJ students (n=144) had an
average score of 6.85 on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1=“I don’t care at all” and 10=”I care
a great deal”. My test results gave me: a sample standard deviation of 2.36.
a. Find the standard error of the sample mean: ________________________
b. Use the ± 2 rule of thumb to find the 95% confidence interval. 95 % of sample CJ
students will have an average level of concern for national defense and security,
ranging from _______to ______, on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 means a great deal of
concern.
13. Define “margin of error”
____________________________________________________________________________
14. I found a 0.34 difference in attendance rates between CJ and PS majors in my class
last semester. I measured attendance rates as the number of missed classes over the
total number of class meetings for the semester. The results from my test of significance
are: test-value = 1.65, p-value= .002.
a) T/ F “The above results come from a difference in two sample proportions test.”
(Circle one)
b) T/ F “There a notable difference in attendance rates between the two majors.”
c) T/ F “My results have practical significance, and I should share them with our
department chair”
d) T/F “My results are statistically significant, so maybe the department should
consider revising course attendance policies for the two majors”
e) What tells you that the results are statistically significant (or not)?
____________
f) Interpret the weight of the evidence in support of the research
hypothesis.___________
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15. What test would you employ to test the difference between two sample means?
a) z-test b) two-way table c) t- test d) Pearson’s r
16. If I say “We can reject the hypothesis that male and female GPAs are identical with
95% confidence”, what is the probability that I might be wrong (expressed as a p-value)?
a) p=0.05 b) p=0.50 c) p=0.005 d) p=5.0
17. If I wanted to test whether Sorority students had higher or lower GPA than non-
Sorority students, which specific test would I use?
a) z-test for difference in proportions
b) t-test for difference in means
c) Pearson’s R correlation coefficient
18. If I wanted to test whether sex and party affiliation are related, I would create a cross-tab
as the one below.
a) What level of measurement are the two variables?
X:__________________________ Y:_________________________
b) Which test will I use to test the hypotheses that gender and party affiliation are
related?
i. t-test for difference in means
ii. chi-square test for comparing categorical variables
iii. Pearson’s R correlation coefficient
c) Here’re the results from the statistical test:
test-value =11.9 p= .004
What do the results tell you about the relationship between gender and party
affiliation? Write two sentences about your results, as requested below. Make sure to
include the evidence (statistical results) with your conclusions.
1. State what the sample results are (i.e. what you learn from the cross-tab):
2. State you confidence in the results (i.e. interpret the p-value):
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