Each of the following is a source of error in a sample survey. Label each as sampling error or non sampling error, and explain your answers.

(a) The telephone directory is used as a sampling frame.

(b) The person cannot be contacted in five calls.

(c) Interviewers choose people walking by on the sidewalk to interview.

2. A survey paid for by makers of disposable diapers found that 84% of the sample opposed banning disposable diapers. Here is the actual question:

Short Answer

Expert verified

Part (a) The telephone directory is labeled as sampling error.

Part (b) Non-sampling error is defined as a person who cannot be reached after five attempts.

Part (c) The fact that the interviewers chose persons walking down the street to interview is classified as sampling error.

Step by step solution

01

Part (a) Step 1: Given information

As a sampling frame, the telephone directory is used. In five attempts, the person cannot be reached. Interviews are conducted with folks who are passing by on the sidewalk.

02

Part (a) Step 2: Concept

The inaccuracy created by observing a sample rather than the entire population is known as sampling error.

03

Part (a) Step 3: Explanation

Any disparity between a statistic and its related parameter is referred to as sampling error. To put it another way, it's a statistical error that arises when the sample doesn't represent the full population. A sampling frame is chosen from the telephone directory. Because it is tied to how the sample is chosen, this is an example of a sampling mistake.

04

Part (b) Step 1: Explanation

In five attempts, the person cannot be reached:

This is an example of a non-sampling error because it involves data gathering and has nothing to do with the survey design. It has nothing to do with the survey's design and is related to data gathering.

05

Part (c) Step 1: Explanation

Interviews are conducted with persons who are passing by on the sidewalk:

Because it is tied to how the sample is conducted, this is an example of sampling error. The sample is made up of people on the street, not a select handful. The sample is made up of ordinary people, not a select few.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Sampling frame Ideally, the sampling frame in a sample survey should list every individual in the population, but in practice, this is often difficult.

Suppose that a sample of households in a community is selected at random from the telephone directory. Explain how this sampling method results in under coverage that could lead to bias.

Improving response rate How can we reduce the rate of refusals in telephone surveys? Most people who answer at all listen to the interviewer’s introductory remarks and then decide whether to continue. One study made telephone calls to randomly selected households to ask for opinions about the next election. In some calls, the interviewer gave her name, in others she identified the university she was representing, and in still others, she identified both herself and the university. For each type of call, the interviewer either did or did not offer to send a copy of the final survey results to the person interviewed. Do these differences in the introduction affect whether the interview is completed?

Call the shots A newspaper advertisement for an upcoming TV show said: “Should handgun control be tougher? You call the shots in a special call-in

poll tonight. If yes, call 1-900-720-6181If not, call 1-900-720-6182A charge is 50 cents for the first minute.” Explain why this opinion poll is almost certainly biased.

Students as customers A high school student the newspaper plans to survey local businesses about the importance of students as customers. From telephone book listings, the newspaper staff chooses 150 businesses

at random. Of these, 73 return the questionnaire mailed by the staff. Identify the population and the sample.

Headache relief Doctors identify “chronic tension- type headaches” as headaches that occur almost daily for at least six months. Can antidepressant medications or stress management training reduce the number and severity of these headaches? Are both together more effective than either alone? Investigators compared four treatments: antidepressant alone, placebo alone, antidepressant plus stress management, and placebo plus stress management. The headache sufferers named in the following table have agreed to participate in the study.

(a) Outline the design of the experiment. What is this type of design called?

(b) Explain how you would randomly assign the subjects to the four treatment groups. Then carry out your random assignment.

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Math Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free