Test Bank

Chapter 3: Organizing, Displaying, and Presenting Data

Multiple Choice

1. The specific location in an electronic data file where a row and a column meet is referred to as what?

A. point

B. cell

C. intersection

D. joint

2. A univariate data display depicts information pertaining to how many variables?

A. one

B. zero because there is no such data display

C. two

D. three

3. A standardized form of a frequency that ranges from 0.00 to 1.00 is referred to as ______.

A. a frequency

B. a percent

C. a proportion

D. a proposition

4. A standardized form of a frequency that ranges from 0.00 to 100.00 is referred to as ______.

A. a frequency

B. a percent

C. a proportion

D. a proposition

5. Proportions are used by statisticians in an effort to ______.

A. standardize the numbers to enhance interpretability

B. cut corners to expedite an analysis

C. make raw data compatible with the necessary statistical software

D. None of these; proportions are not used by statisticians.

6. Percentages are used regularly by research scientists and are variations of which of the following?

A. cells

B. joints

C. samples

D. proportions

7. A frequency, proportion, or percentage that is obtained through the process of adding a given number to all numbers below it is called what in scientific research?

A. a cumulative

B. a cumulus

C. a cloud

D. a cell

8. Which Greek symbol is used by scientists to indicate summation?

A. α

B. Ω

C. π

D. ∑

9. A lower case f is used by research scientists to identify which of the following?

A. a raw frequency

B. a proportion

C. a percent

D. a rate

10. If a researcher divided the number of crimes that occurred in a city in 1 year by the city’s population, the result would be ______.

A. a rate

B. a percent

C. a proportion

D. a frequency

11. Which of the following would be considered an alternative to a histogram for use with continuous data?

A. a matrix distribution

B. an inclusive frequency distribution

C. a pie chart

D. a frequency polygon

12. A logical graphic display for longitudinal data would be which of the following?

A. a pie chart

B. a line chart

C. a matrix tabular form

D. an inclusive frequency distribution

13. Which of the following file extensions identify SPSS data?

A. .doc

B. .pdf

C. .do

D. .sav

14. Which of the following is created by placing a dot in the locations where the tops of the bars would otherwise be in a histogram and then connecting the dots with a line?

A. a frequency polygon

B. a pie chart

C. a longitudinal hectogram

D. a frequency distribution

15. If a categorical variable has six or more classes, which of the following is the best type of chart to use to display the data?

A. pie chart

B. bar graph

C. histogram

D. line chart

16. A researcher has collected longitudinal data on the annual numbers of bank robberies in a city between 1990 and 2000. She is wondering if there are any interesting trends contained within her data. What type of graphical display would allow her to find out?

A. histogram

B. frequency polygon

C. line chart

D. bar chart

17. Bar charts and histograms closely resemble one another. How is one to determine the essential difference between a histogram and a bar chart?

A. A bar chart and a histogram are exactly the same. It is up to the reader to be able to deduce which is being presented by the researcher.

B. In a histogram, the bars representing the data points touch one another, thus symbolizing the continuous nature of the data.

C. A reader of scientific literature need not worry because the researcher will identify the appropriate graphic in the accompanying text.

D. The continuous nature of the data used in bar charts requires that the bars not touch one another.

18. Which of the following would be considered the simplest, most straightforward style of data display?

A. a bivariate frequency distribution

B. a triumvirate frequency distribution

C. a univariate frequency distribution

D. a χ² distribution

19. Frequencies are used in great abundance in the field of statistics. How exactly would a frequency be defined?

A. A frequency is a raw count, or the number of times a particular characteristic appears in a data set.

B. A frequency is a display of the total number of times a certain proportion of events occurs within a data set.

C. A frequency is a display representing the total χ² summative that enables a researcher to generate appropriate graphics to disseminate results or outputs.

D. A frequency is the amount of time a research scientist requires to properly analyze his or her data.

20. The symbol representing the total sample size is which of the following?

A. f

B. A

C. Σ

D. N

21. Which of the following terms is described by the phrase, “the number of times a particular characteristic appears in a sample relative to the total sample size”?

A. a percentage

B. a frequency

C. a sample size

D. a proportion

22. If a particular characteristic appeared in a sample with a proportion equal to 1.00, what would be its corresponding percentage?

A. 90%

B. 1%

C. 10%

D. 100%

23. According to the Jail Inmates’ Sexual-Assault Victimization study by Lane and Fox (2013), approximately what percentage of female inmates reports sexual-assault victimization?

A. 10%

B. 20%

C. 50%

D. 75%

24. What are the categories or groups within a nominal or ordinal variable?

A. classes

B. subgroups

C. fields

D. none of these

25. What term is defined as patterns that indicate whether something is increasing, decreasing, or staying the same over time?

A. tendencies

B. trends

C. drifts

D. variability

26. A ______ is typically used when presenting longitudinal data.

A. bar chart

B. line chart

C. histogram

D. pie chart

27. The ______ file extension is the computerized signifier of SPSS raw data.

A. .xls

B. .doc

C. .spss

D. .sav

28. In SPSS, clicking the ______ button will run the analysis requested and produce output.

A. execute

B. OK

C. proceed

D. none of these

29. Bar graphs are useful for displaying ______ variables with any number of classes.

A. interval

B. continuous

C. categorical

D. qualitative

30. Variables measured repeatedly over time are referred to as ______ in scientific research.

A. cross-sectional

B. attitudinal

C. static

D. longitudinal

31. Patterns that indicate whether some phenomenon is increasing, decreasing, or staying constant over time are called ______.

A. trajectories

B. trends

C. artifacts

D. none of these

32. Which of the following is a method of standardization that reports the number of events divided by the total population?

A. frequency

B. rate

C. percentage

D. range

33. What kind of analysis involves two variables?

A. univariate

B. bivariate

C. multivariate

D. none of these

34. What type of illustration would you use to display the average daily population of a sample of jails?

A. pie chart

B. line chart

C. histogram

D. none of these

35. Which of the following are examples of rates?

A. 5 crimes for every 100 persons

B. 10 victimizations for every 100 persons

C. 15 crimes for every 1,000 households

D. all of these

1. One of the most commonly used statistical packages is the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, more commonly known as SPSS.

2. The maximum value a proportion can take on is 100.00.

3. A percentage typically ranges from 0.00 to 1.00.

4. A frequency distribution is a display of the number of times a particular characteristic appears in a data set.

5. Raw frequencies are easier to interpret than are standardized numbers like proportions, percentages, and rates.

6. Percentages are variants of proportions but have the advantage of being more readily interpretable by the general public.

7. Proportions and percentages can be used in conjunction with frequencies to allow a fuller and more informative data display.

8. The Greek letter Omega, Ω, is used by scientists to indicate the process of addition.

9. The formula p = f/N is used to calculate a proportion.

10. Cumulative frequencies, proportions, and percentages are rarely used by research scientists and really serve no purpose whatsoever.

11. The only proper graphic display form for continuous variables is the histogram.

12. Grouping continuous data into intervals can solve many problems associated with trying to discern patterns or draw meaningful conclusions from large volumes of numbers.

13. Creating the proper number of intervals for use with continuous data when trying to display results is more art than rigorous science.

14. In SPSS, it is the Chart Builder that allows one to select a chart type and choose the variable to be used.

15. In SPSS, it is necessary to be concerned with the level of measurement of the variables selected for use in any of the graphic charts available for the presentation of statistical results.

16. In an effort to make data more standardized during an analysis, a statistician will use proportions, percentages, or rates.

17. A table that depicts the overlap between two variables is known as a random numbers table in statistics.

18. An analysis involving two variables is also called a bivariate analysis.

19. Pie charts are generally acceptable in graphic displays of variables measured at the interval level of measurement.

20. Continuous data can be graphed using histograms or frequency polygons.

1. If a researcher had longitudinal data, what would be the best choice for a graphic display?

2. Briefly explain the essential differences between bar charts and histograms.

3. A professor has finally finished the data collection phase of his most recent study into bank robbery rates in rural communities. As he prepares to present the findings to a panel of his peers, he has need of a good method of displaying the findings in a graphic form. He has opted for pie charts due to their ease of interpretation and colorful appearance and asks his research assistant to put the presentation together. The research assistant is reluctant to make the charts because she knows that something is amiss with the presentation. What is wrong with the professor’s presentation?

4. What is one potential solution when continuous data are so spread out that histograms are difficult to interpret in terms of shape?

5. Describe the most appropriate use of pie charts, including type(s) of variables and numbers of classes