Observational Studies

What is the purpose of an observational study?

• To observe people's behavior

• To ask people about their behavior

• To manipulate people's behavior

• To control people's behavior

Why is random selection important in obtaining a representative sample?

• It ensures that everyone in the population has an equal chance of being included

• It guarantees that the sample will be large enough

• It allows for easy data collection

• It eliminates bias in the sample

In the study on talking patterns, why might the results not apply to all college students?

• Some college students might have refused to participate

• The sample was chosen from the United States and Mexico only

• The study only included male college students

• The researchers did not use random selection

What is the best way to select a representative sample of potato chips from a factory's production?

• Choose a random sample of chips from different times during production

• Measure the salt content of every chip produced

• Select the first 100 chips and the last 100 chips

• Observe the chips as they move down the conveyor belt

Why is it not practical to measure the salt content of every potato chip produced?

• It would destroy all the potato chips

• It would take too much time

• It would be too expensive

• It would require specialized equipment

What is the main drawback of using observers in an observational study?

• The presence of an observer may influence the behavior of those being observed

• Observers may not accurately record the data

• Observers may have biased opinions

• Observers may not be trained properly

What did the observational study on talking patterns by gender find?

• Both males and females tend to speak an average of about 16,000 words per day

• Women talk almost three times as much as men

• Men talk almost three times as much as women

• There is no significant difference in talking patterns between males and females

Why did Dr. Louann Brizendine's claim about women talking more than men have little factual basis?

• The observational study found no significant difference in talking patterns between males and females

• The observational study only included college students

• The observational study was not conducted properly

• The observational study did not use random selection

What is the purpose of measuring the salt content of a sample of potato chips?

• To estimate the salt content of the entire batch of chips produced

• To determine if the chips are too salty

• To ensure quality control at the factory

• To compare the salt content to industry standards

Why is it important for a sample to be representative of the population?

• To generalize the findings from the sample to the larger population

• To ensure that the sample is large enough

• To eliminate bias in the sample

• To control for confounding variables