Quantitative Research & Statistics Flashcards
7 cards from real CSP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Quantitative Research & Statistics flashcards as text
A sociologist wants to estimate what proportion of Americans support a social policy. Using a 95% confidence interval, the researcher finds 55% ± 3%. What does this confidence interval mean?
Answer: If this study were repeated many times, 95% of such intervals would contain the true population proportion
A 95% confidence interval means that if the same sampling procedure were repeated many times, 95% of the constructed intervals would contain the true population parameter.
In event history analysis (survival analysis), what does the hazard rate represent?
Answer: The instantaneous risk of an event occurring at time t given it has not yet occurred
The hazard rate represents the instantaneous probability of an event occurring at a specific time point, conditional on the subject not having experienced the event yet.
A researcher is comparing pre-test and post-test scores for the same group of participants. Which test is most appropriate?
Answer: Paired samples t-test
A paired samples t-test is appropriate when comparing two related measurements (e.g., pre/post scores) from the same individuals, accounting for within-subject correlation.
External validity in quantitative research refers to the:
Answer: Degree to which findings can be generalized beyond the study sample
External validity refers to the generalizability of findings—whether results observed in a specific sample and setting can be applied to other populations, settings, or times.
Which of the following is a nonparametric alternative to the independent samples t-test?
Answer: Mann-Whitney U test
The Mann-Whitney U test is the nonparametric alternative to the independent samples t-test, used when data do not meet parametric assumptions such as normality.
A sociologist controls for socioeconomic status in a regression model to examine the relationship between race and health outcomes. This technique is used to:
Answer: Isolate the effect of race by holding SES constant statistically
Including control variables in regression holds them statistically constant, allowing the researcher to isolate the unique association between the focal predictor (race) and the outcome.
A sociologist finds that the relationship between social class and political participation disappears when education is introduced as a control variable. This pattern is called:
Answer: Mediation
When the relationship between two variables disappears after controlling for a third variable that lies on the causal pathway, the third variable is acting as a mediator.