Chapter 1: Introduction to Making Sense of Numbers

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. What does a plausible numeric value refer to in quantitative research?

A. falling within a specified range

B. realistic for a particular topic

C. two deviations from the mean

D. within an interval in a survey

Learning Objective: 1-3: Define plausibility and how it relates to making sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Plausibility of Numeric Values

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. What are “naked numbers” as defined by the author?

A. numbers reported without context

B. numbers in a data set or file

C. numbers that are positive

D. numbers given in same units

Learning Objective:1-3: Define plausibility and how it relates to making sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Plausibility of Numeric Values

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. What could be the primary challenges in making sense of numbers?

A. interpreting outlier values and ranges

B. converting one unit to another

C. not knowing the topic, context, or unit

D. comparing topics and their units

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. You are reading a report of rental values of homes in Tel Aviv, Israel in order to plan a trip to the city. Which type of challenge may make making sense of the numbers in the report difficult?

A. different time

B. unknown place

C. lack of unit

D. unfamiliar topic

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. The average height of locals was collected in a small town from a sample group from the town. What type of challenge could be encountered in making sense of this number if the composition of the sample is not known?

A. different time

B. unfamiliar context

C. unknown place

D. lack of unit

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. The normal body temperature of humans has been found to fall from 98.6°F to 97.5°F over the last several decades. What type of factor is this for interpreting human body temperature?

A. threshold

B. unit measure

C. topic

D. context

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. As a chemistry major in college, you learned how to use the periodic table of elements. Which type of learning does this fall under?

A. on the job training

B. experiential learning

C. formal instruction

D. intuitive learning

Learning Objective: 1-5: List ways people typically learn about applied use of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How We Learn to Make Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. What is the primary reason for learning research concepts and critical thinking skills?

A. to be able to do formal research

B. to be a qualified college faculty

C. to enhance formal instruction

D. to interpret an unknown topic

Learning Objective: 1-5: List ways people typically learn about applied use of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Which of the following is not considered a quantitative research task?

A. interpret numbers

B. analyze raw data

C. provide opinions on data

D. explain numeric results

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify common tasks for using numbers to answer real world questions.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Highlights

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Which of the following is not one of the many uses of numbers?

A. understand a philosophy

B. interpret real world issues

C. take important decisions

D. identify fake news or facts

Learning Objective: 1-1: Recognize the scope of topics and applications for which numbers are used.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Many Uses of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Easy

11. Which of the following is a critical objective of quantitative research?

A. construct an exhaustive hypothesis

B. avoid common errors of logic and calculation

C. develop a hypothesis on a topic of interest

D. compare numbers with a uniform measure

Learning Objective:1-1: Recognize the scope of topics and applications for which numbers are used.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Many Uses of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. You are interested in purchasing a new mid-size car that is fuel efficient. You do some research on five car models to make an informed choice. Which type of task is this as regard to numbers?

A. a simple comparison

B. analyze data

C. make a decision

D. collect data

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify common tasks for using numbers to answer real world questions.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Common Tasks Involving Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. Your economics professor has given you an assignment to comment on the economic growth rate of Croatia during the last decade. Which type of task is this as regard to numbers?

A. analyze data

B. a simple comparison

C. make a decision

D. collect data

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify common tasks for using numbers to answer real world questions.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Common Tasks Involving Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

14. Michael works in a market research firm and he has been included in a team to conduct a survey of consumer preferences for four brands of toothpaste. Which type of task is this as regard to numbers?

A. communicate results

B. make a decision

C. collect data

D. analyze data

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify common tasks for using numbers to answer real world questions.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Common Tasks Involving Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

15. You have been assigned the task of explaining the results of a statistical model developed by the data science team in your company to a larger audience within the company. Which type of task is this as regard to numbers?

A. analyze data

B. collect data

C. communicate results

D. make a decision

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify common tasks for using numbers to answer real world questions.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Common Tasks Involving Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

16. A person tells you that the weather in Miami this morning is 31°. What type of challenge does this information pose?

A. context

B. topic

C. setting

D. unit

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. You are tasked to analyze data for seven local grocery stores in Harlem, NY. The variables in the data given are sales in dollars, month of the year, and location of the store. What type of challenge does the sales variable pose?

A. unit

B. context

C. topic

D. place

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Hard

18. On a visit to London, you read in the papers that England scored 132 runs against Australia in a cricket test match. You are not familiar with cricket. What type of challenge does this data pose?

A. context

B. topic

C. unit

D. group

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Hard

19. Peter is a medical student and does not have a background in finance. He reads an article in a financial journal that the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of a stock portfolio is 3%. What type of challenge does this number present?

A. direction of “good”

B. unit of analysis

C. scale of data

D. type of stock

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Hard

20. A new employee at FICO learns about the FICO score and interpretation of its ranges at a training session. What type of learning did this entail?

A. experiential learning

B. on the job training

C. formal instruction

D. self-study

Learning Objective: 1-5: List ways people typically learn about applied use of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How We Learn to Make Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Easy

21. Jennifer worked as an accountant at a CPA firm in Boston. She had a keen interest in astronomy and read books on the subject in her spare time. She also attended seminars on astronomy whenever possible. What type of learning is illustrated here?

A. experiential learning

B. on the job training

C. formal instruction

D. self-study

Learning Objective: 1-5: List ways people typically learn about applied use of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How We Learn to Make Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Easy

22. When you encounter a new topic, what process should you follow to learn about the topic?

A. self-study

B. experiential learning

C. research methodology

D. advice from experts

Learning Objective: 1-5: List ways people typically learn about applied use of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How We Learn to Make Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

23. Which concept or term is the foundation of quantitative research?

A. self-study

B. plausibility

C. critical thinking

D. data collection

Learning Objective: 1-5: List ways people typically learn about applied use of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Terms and Concepts

Difficulty Level: Hard

24. Which of the following statements is true with regard to numbers?

A. not all numeric values fit all topics

B. values are uniform across time

C. numeric measures are held constant

D. a number may not be interpretable

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Highlights

Difficulty Level: Easy

25. Which of the following is not true?

A. Numbers need to be plausible.

B. Values should be interpreted correctly.

C. Research derives concepts from sociology.

D. Data need to be analyzed.

Learning Objective: 1-5: List ways people typically learn about applied use of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Highlights

Difficulty Level: Easy

True/False

1. Being able to understand how data was collected and analyzed can help to identify “fake news.”

Learning Objective: 1-1: Recognize the scope of topics and applications for which numbers are used.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Many Uses of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Knowing the FICO credit score range of 300–850 provides plausibility to a reported credit score.

Learning Objective: 1-3: Define plausibility and how it relates to making sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Plausibility of Numeric Values

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. Understanding numbers is primarily needed in scientific topics.

Learning Objective: 1-1: Recognize the scope of topics and applications for which numbers are used.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Many Uses of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Numbers may be used to compare two or more objects or places or events.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify common tasks for using numbers to answer real world questions.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Common Tasks Involving Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Collection of data does not necessarily fall under quantitative research.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify common tasks for using numbers to answer real world questions.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Common Tasks Involving Numbers

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. Explaining numeric results of research is usually not a requisite for conducting quantitative research.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify common tasks for using numbers to answer real world questions.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Common Tasks Involving Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. In order to correctly interpret numbers, one must be aware of the topic, context, and units of measurement.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify common tasks for using numbers to answer real world questions.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Common Tasks Involving Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Whether the difference between two values is “big” depends on the context.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Hard

9. Numbers can always take on either positive or negative values.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. We learn how to make sense of numbers through formal instruction, on-the-job training, and experiential learning.

Learning Objective: 1-5: List ways people typically learn about applied use of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: How We Learn to Make Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Easy

Short Answer

1. List two instances where interpreting numbers have helped you make a decision in the real world.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify common tasks for using numbers to answer real world questions.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Common Tasks Involving Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Describe three common tasks undertaken in everyday life that involve numbers.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify common tasks for using numbers to answer real world questions.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Common Tasks Involving Numbers

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. You have been tasked with conducting a survey of political affiliations of 100 students in your college. What type of task involving numbers is this? Explain.

Learning Objective: 1-2: Identify common tasks for using numbers to answer real world questions.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Common Tasks Involving Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Making sense of numbers involves understanding which numbers are plausible in a given context. Provide an example of plausibility in the real world.

Learning Objective: 1-3: Define plausibility and how it relates to making sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Plausibility of Numeric Values

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Define plausibility of a numeric value in your own words.

Learning Objective: 1-3: Define plausibility and how it relates to making sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Plausibility of Numeric Values

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. How would you describe a “naked number?” Provide an example.

Learning Objective: 1-3: Define plausibility and how it relates to making sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Plausibility of Numeric Values

Difficulty Level: Hard

7. List the primary challenges you face when interpreting numbers from an unknown topic.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Provide cases where a number may represent a value other than a single data point.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Hard

9. Illustrate with an example, a case where numbers could only take positive integer values.

Learning Objective: 1-4: Anticipate some challenges of learning to make sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Challenges in Making Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. List three topics involving numbers that you learned through formal instruction.

Learning Objective: 1-5: List ways people typically learn about applied use of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How We Learn to Make Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

Essay

1. Explain in your own words why it is important to master the research methodology for interpreting numbers. Provide an example to illustrate your reasoning.

Learning Objective: 1-5: List ways people typically learn about applied use of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How We Learn to Make Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Describe a case where you learned about a topic through experiential learning, rather than formal instruction or training. What steps did you take to educate yourself about the topic? What were the main challenges that you faced in the process?

Learning Objective: 1-5: List ways people typically learn about applied use of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: How We Learn to Make Sense of Numbers

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. Give three examples where certain numbers are not plausible. How did you arrive at the conclusion that these numbers were implausible for the topic? Explain.

Learning Objective: 1-3: Define plausibility and how it relates to making sense of numbers.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Plausibility of Numeric Values

Difficulty Level: Hard