AP Statistics Test Booklet

3 Collecting Data Name

1. In a certain school, students can choose whether to eat in the school’s cafeteria. A reporter working for the
school’s newspaper polled students on their reactions to changes in the menu at the cafeteria. For each
student leaving the cafeteria in one 30-minute time period, the reporter used a coin to determine whether to
stop the student and ask how he or she felt about the new menu. In the reporter’s article it was stated that a
random sample of the students showed that 89 percent of the school’s student population was happy with the
new menu. Which of the following statements is true?

Because each student leaving the cafeteria was randomly selected and could choose to answer or not, this is
A a random sample of the student population, and the 89% is an accurate measurement of the school
population’s view of the new menu.

Because students self-selected whether to eat in the cafeteria, the sampling method might be biased and the
B
sample might not be representative of all students in the school.

The survey would have been more effective if the reporter had collected the data in one 15-minute time
C
period rather than in one 30-minute time period.

The survey would have been more effective if students who cared about the food could have called the
D reporter to tell how they felt about the new menu, so that only students with opinions on the subject would
have been surveyed.

Because no treatment was imposed on the students eating in the cafeteria, one cannot make any conclusions
E
about the new menu.

2. A randomized block design will be used in an experiment to compare two lotions that protect people from
getting sunburned. Which of the following should guide the formation of the blocks?

A Participants in the same block should receive the same lotion.

B Participants should be randomly assigned to the blocks.

C Participants should be kept blind as to which block they are in.

Participants within each block should be as similar as possible with respect to how easily they get
D
sunburned.

Participants within each block should be as different as possible with respect to how easily they get
E
sunburned.

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3. For the purpose of determining the value of its end-of-year inventory, a clothing store creates a list at the
end of the year of every item currently in stock along with each item’s wholesale price. Which of the
following is the best description of the end-of-the-year activity?

A An experiment, because the items are treatments and wholesale prices are responses.

B An experiment, because the store does not know the total wholesale price of all the items.

C A sample survey, because the store wants to estimate the value of all items for the entire year.

A sample survey, because the items currently in the store at the end of the year are a random sample of all
D
items in the store for the entire year.

E A census, because the wholesale prices of all items are listed.

4. A well-designed experiment should have which of the following characteristics?

A I only

B I and II only

C I and III only

D II and III only

E I, II and III

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5. A florist wanted to investigate whether a new powder added to the water of cut flowers helps to keep the
flowers fresh longer than just water alone. For a shipment of roses that was delivered to the store, the florist
flipped a coin before placing each rose in its own individual container with water. If the coin landed heads
up, the rose was placed in water with the new powder; otherwise, the rose was placed in water alone. Which
of the following is the best description of the method used by the florist?

A A census, because all roses are assigned to a container

B An experiment with a completely randomized design

C An experiment with a blocked design, with blocking by type of water

D An experiment with a matched-pairs design

E An observational study

6. Researchers conducted a study to investigate the effects of soft drink consumption on fat stored in muscle
tissue. From a sample of 80 adult volunteers, 40 were randomly assigned to consume one liter of a soft drink
each day. The remaining 40 were asked to drink one liter of water each day and not to consume any soft
drinks. At the end of six months, the amount of fat stored in each person’s muscle tissue was recorded. The
people in the group who drank the soft drink had, on average, a higher percentage of fat stored in the tissue
than the people who drank only water. Which of the following is the most appropriate conclusion?

There is evidence that consuming soft drinks causes more fat storage in muscle tissue than drinking only
A
water, and the conclusion can be generalized to all adults.

There is evidence that consuming soft drinks causes more fat storage in muscle tissue than drinking only
B
water, and the conclusion can be generalized to all people who consume soft drinks.

There is evidence that consuming soft drinks causes more fat storage in muscle tissue than drinking only
C
water, and the conclusion can be generalized to adults similar to those in the study.

Although cause-and-effect cannot be established, there is an association between consuming soft drinks and
D
fat storage in muscle tissue for the population of all adults.

Although cause-and-effect cannot be established, there is an association between consuming soft drinks and
E
fat storage in muscle tissue for the population of all adults who consume soft drinks.

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7. A compact disc (CD) manufacturer wanted to determine which of two different cover designs for a newly
released CD will generate more sales. The manufacturer chose 70 stores to sell the CD. Thirty-five of these
stores were randomly assigned to sell CDs with one of the cover designs and the other 35 were assigned to
sell the CDs with the other cover design. The manufacturer recorded the number of CDs sold at each of the
stores and found a significant difference between the mean number of CDs sold for the two cover designs.
Which of the following gives the conclusion that should be made based on the results and provides the best
explanation for the conclusion?

It is
A not reasonable to conclude that the difference in sales was caused by the different cover designs because
this was not an experiment.
It is
B not reasonable to conclude that the difference in sales was caused by the different cover designs because
there was no control group for comparison.
It is
C not reasonable to conclude that the difference in sales was caused by the different cover designs because the
70 stores were not randomly chosen.

It is reasonable to conclude that the difference in sales was caused by the different cover designs because the
D
cover designs were randomly assigned to stores.

It is reasonable to conclude that the difference in sales was caused by the different cover designs because the
E
sample size was large.

8. A certain county has 1,000 farms. Corn is grown on 100 of these farms but on none of the others. In order to
estimate the total farm acreage of corn for the country, two plans are proposed.
Plan I:
1. Sample 20 farms at random.
2. Estimate the mean acreage of corn per farm in a confidence interval.
3. Multiply both ends of the interval by 1,000 to get an interval estimate of the total.
Plan II:
1. Identify the 100 corn-growing farms.
2. Sample 20 corn-growing farms at random.
3. Estimate the mean acreage of corn for corn-growing farms in a confidence interval.
4. Multiply both ends of the interval by 100 to get an interval estimate of the total.
On the basis of the information given, which of the following is the better method for estimating the total
farm acreage of corn for the county?

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A Choose plan I over plan II.

B Choose plan II over plan I.

C Choose either plan, since both are good and will produce equivalent results.

D Choose neither plan, since neither estimates the total farm acreage of corn.

E The plans cannot be evaluated from the information given.

9. A program that was intended to cure a person’s fear of spiders was offered at a local zoo. Volunteers with a
fear of spiders participated in the program, which included holding a spider for 15 minutes. One month after
they completed the program, the participants were contacted and surveyed about the program. Over 90
percent of the participants claimed they were cured of their fear of spiders. Based on the description of the
program, which of the following statements is true?

Because over 90% of the participants claimed to be cured, the results prove that holding a spider will cure a
A
person’s fear of spiders.

Because over 90% of the participants claimed to be cured, the results can be generalized to the population of
B
all people who have a fear of spiders.

Because the participants were volunteers, the study is a census of all people in the local area who have a fear
C
of spiders.

D Because the participants were self-selected, a person’s desire to be cured could be a confounding variable.

Because participants held a spider for 15 minutes, the study is an experiment and the results can be
E
generalized to the population of all people who have a fear of spiders.

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10. The director of a fitness center wants to examine the effects of two exercise classes (spinning and aerobics)
on body fat percentage. A six-week spinning class and a six-week aerobics class are offered at the same time
and on the same days, so that a person can enroll in only one of them. A new class of each is about to begin,
and each class has 25 people in it. Ten people are randomly selected from each class. Each person's body fat
percentage is measured at the beginning and again at the end of the six-week class. Using the change in
body fat percentage as the response variable and conducting a test at the a = 0.01 level, the director
determines that there is a significant difference between the treatment means. Which of the following is a
confounding variable in the study?

A The director's choice of spinning and aerobics classes as the types for use in the study.

B The random sample of 10 people from each class.

C The participants' choice of which class to take.

D The use of body fat percentage as the measure of effectiveness of the treatment.

The fact that both classes were conducted three times each week at the same time of day and for the same
E
amount of time each day.

11. A bank surveyed all of its 60 employees to determine the proportion who participate in volunteer activities.
Which of the following statements is true?

A The bank should not use the data from this survey because this is an observational study.

The bank can use the result of this survey to prove that working for the bank causes employees to participate
B
in volunteer activities.

The bank did not select a random sample of employees, so the survey will not provide the bank with useful
C
information.

The bank would have to use the survey data to construct a confidence interval in order to estimate the
D
proportion of employees who participate in volunteer activities.

The bank does not need to use an inference procedure to determine the proportion of employees who
E
participate in volunteer activities because the survey was a census of all employees.

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12. Which of the following can be used to show a cause-and-effect relationship between two variables?

A A census

B A controlled experiment

C An observational study

D A sample survey

E A cross-sectional survey

13. Which of the following distinguishes an observational study from a randomized experiment?

In an observational study volunteers are always used, whereas in a randomized experiment a random sample
A
is always taken from the population.

In an observational study a random sample is always taken from the population, whereas in a randomized
B
experiment volunteers are always used.

In an observational study treatments are not randomly assigned, whereas in a randomized experiment
C
treatments are randomly assigned.

In an observational study a control group is never used, whereas in a randomized experiment a control group
D
is always used.

An observational study can be double-blind, whereas a randomized experiment can only be single-blind
E
because the experimenter determines who is randomly assigned to each treatment.

14. A researcher conducting a telephone survey is concerned about possible sources of bias. Of the following,
which is the best example of nonresponse bias?

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A The wording of the questions in the survey leads people to respond in a certain way.

B The behavior of the interviewer leads people to respond in a certain way.

People might be uncomfortable with the survey questions and, as a result, might not always respond to those
C
questions truthfully.

Many of the people selected to participate in the survey who do not respond might have opinions different
D
from those who do respond.

E People without telephones are overlooked in the sampling procedure used to determine who is surveyed.

15. A new restaurant is interested in determining the best time-temperature combination for roasting a five-
pound cut of lamb. The times to be tested are 45 minutes, 60 minutes, and 90 minutes at temperatures of 350
degrees Fahrenheit and 425 degrees Fahrenheit for each time, with the exception of the 90 minute - 425
degree combination. That combination is being eliminated because it will overcook the lamb, which leaves
five combinations remaining. From 10 identical cuts of lamb, 2 are randomly selected to roast using each of
the time-temperature combinations in the same oven. The quality of the finished product is evaluated for
each roast. Which of the following is true?

A The explanatory variable is the quality of the finished lamb.

B The response variable is the roasting temperature for the lamb.

C If the experiment is repeated, identical results will be expected.

D There should be a control group (i.e., a group in which no treatment is given).

E The two cuts that are being roasted for each time-temperature combination are an example of replication.

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16. A pharmaceutical company manufactures medicine to reduce pain caused by migraine headaches. The
company is investigating whether a new medicine is more effective in reducing pain than the current
medicine. A random sample of 500 participants who experience migraines was selected, and the participants
were randomly assigned to one of two groups of equal size. The first group received the current medicine
and the second group received the new medicine. When a participant experienced a migraine, he or she was
instructed to take the medicine and, 15 minutes after taking the medicine, to rate the pain relief on a scale
from 1 to 10, with 1 being no relief to 10 being complete relief. At the end of six months, the average pain
relief for each participant was calculated. Which of the following is the best description of the study?

A An experiment using a completely randomized design

B An experiment using a matched-pairs design

C An observational study using a simple random sample

D An observational study using a cluster sample

E An observational study using a stratified sample

17. The manager of a public swimming pool wants to compare the effectiveness of two laundry detergents,
Detergent A and Detergent B, in cleaning the towels that are used daily. As each dirty towel is turned in, it
is placed into the only washing machine on the premises. When the washing machine contains 20 towels,
the manager flips a coin to determine whether Detergent A or Detergent B will be used for that load. The
cleanliness of the load of towels is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 by a person who does not know which
detergent was used. The manager continues this experiment for many days. Which of the following best
describes the manager’s study?

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A A completely randomized design

B A randomized block design with Detergent A and Detergent B as blocks

C A randomized block design with the washing machine as the block

D A matched-pairs design with Detergent A and Detergent B as the pair

E An observational study

18. In the design of a survey, which of the following best explains how to minimize response bias?

A Increase the sample size.

B Decrease the sample size.

C Randomly select the sample.

D Increase the number of questions in the survey.

E Carefully word and field-test survey questions.

19. A matched-pairs t-test is NOT an appropriate way to analyze data consisting of which of the following?

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Measurements of annual income taken both before and after a two-year training course for a random sample
A
of 100 people who took the course

B Measurements of annual income for each twin for 100 randomly selected pairs of twins

Measurements of annual income for both individuals in pairs formed by matching 100 people from State A
C
and 100 people from State B based on level of education

Measurements of annual income for both individuals in pairs formed by assigning 100 people to pairs at
D
random

E Measurements of annual income recorded for both spouses of 100 randomly selected married couples

20. An experiment will be conducted to determine whether children learn their multiplication facts better by
practicing with flash cards or by practicing on a computer. Children who volunteer for the experiment will
be randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. Because the children’s gender may affect the outcome,
there will be blocking by gender. After practice, the children will be given a test on their multiplication
facts. Why will it be impossible to conduct a double-blind experiment?

The experimenter will know whether the child is a boy or a girl and whether he or she used flash cards or
A
the computer.

B The child will know whether he or she is a boy or a girl.

C The child will know whether he or she used flash cards or the computer.

D The person who grades the tests will know whether the child was a boy or a girl.

E The person who grades the tests will know whether the child used flash cards or the computer.

21. Under which of the following conditions is it preferable to use stratified random sampling rather than simple
random sampling?

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The population can be divided into a large number of strata so that each stratum contains only a few
A
individuals.

The population can be divided into a small number of strata so that each stratum contains a large number of
B
individuals.

The population can be divided into strata so that the individuals in each stratum are as much alike as
C
possible.

D The population can be divided into strata so that the individuals in each stratum are as different as possible.

The population can be divided into strata of equal sizes so that each individual in the population still has the
E
same chance of being selected.

22. The Physicians' Health Study, a large medical experiment involving 22,000 male physicians, attempted to
determine whether aspirin could help prevent heart attacks. In this study, one group of about 11,000
physicians took an aspirin every other day, while a control group took a placebo. After several years, it was
determined that the physicians in the group that took aspirin had significantly fewer heart attacks than the
physicians in the control group. Which of the following statements explains why it would
not be appropriate to say that everyone should take an aspirin every other day?
1. The study included only physicians, and different results may occur in individuals in other occupations.
2. The study included only males and there may be different results for females.
3. Although taking aspirin may be helpful in preventing heart attacks, it may be harmful to some other
aspects of health.

A I only

B II only

C III only

D II and III only

E I, II, and III

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23. A large simple random sample of people aged nineteen to thirty living in the state of Colorado was surveyed
to determine which of two MP3 players just developed by a new company was preferred. To which of the
following populations can the results of this survey be safely generalized?

A Only people aged nineteen to thirty living in the state of Colorado who were in this survey

B Only people aged nineteen to thirty living in the state of Colorado

C All people living in the state of Colorado

D Only people aged nineteen to thirty living in the United States

E All people living in the United States

24. George and Michelle each claimed to have the better recipe for chocolate chip cookies. They decided to
conduct a study to determine whose cookies were really better. They each baked a batch of cookies using
their own recipe. George asked a random sample of his friends to taste his cookies and to complete a
questionnaire on their quality. Michelle asked a random sample of her friends to complete the same
questionnaire for her cookies. They then compared the results. Which of the following statements about this
study is false?

Because George and Michelle have a different population of friends, their sampling procedure makes it
A
difficult to compare the recipes.

Because George and Michelle each used only their own respective recipes, their cooking ability is
B
confounded with the recipe quality.

Because George and Michelle each used only the ovens in their houses, the recipe quality is confounded
C
with the characteristics of the oven.

Because George and Michelle used the same questionnaire, their results will generalize to the combined
D
population of their friends.

E Because George and Michelle each baked one batch, there is no replication of the cookie recipes.

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To investigate whether the consumption of beetroot juice enhances exercise performance, a researcher
25.
selected a random sample of student athletes from all the student athletes at a college. The athletes in the
sample were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In one group, athletes were given a daily dose of
beetroot juice, and in the other group, the remaining athletes were given a daily dose of a placebo. At the
end of six weeks of exercise training, the researcher compared the performances of the two groups. Based
on the design of the investigation, which of the following is the largest population to which the results can
be generalized?

A The student athletes assigned to the beetroot juice group

B The student athletes in the sample

C All student athletes at the college

D All students at the college

E All people who exercise

26. An agricultural scientist wanted to compare the effect of a new fertilizer to that of three older fertilizers—X,
Y, and Z—on the growth of vegetables typically grown in small gardens. Two hundred green bean seedlings
were individually planted in identical pots and randomly assigned to one of four groups of 50 each.
Seedlings in one group were given the new fertilizer, and the three remaining groups of seedlings were
given fertilizers X, Y, or Z, respectively. At the end of four weeks, all seedlings were dried and weighed.
The scientist found that the mean weight of the seedlings in the group given the new fertilizer was
significantly greater than the mean weights of seedlings in the other three groups. The scientist concluded
that the new fertilizer was more effective than the other fertilizers for all vegetables. Why is the scientist’s
conclusion not appropriate?

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A The study was observational, so cause and effect cannot be concluded.

B The study was observational, so no replication was used in the study.

C The experiment only included green beans, so the results cannot be generalized to all vegetables.

D The experiment did not group the seedlings into blocks by the variety of beans.

E The experiment lacked a control group that did not use any fertilizer.

27. Staff members of a high school newspaper want to obtain an estimate of the average number of years
teachers in the state have been teaching. At an educational conference attended by many teachers in the
state, the staff members randomly selected 50 conference attendees and asked the attendees how long they
have been teaching. Which of the following describes the sample and the population to which it would be
most reasonable for the staff members to generalize the results?

A The sample is the 50 conference attendees, and the population is all teachers in the state.

B The sample is the 50 conference attendees, and the population is all conference attendees.

C The sample is all conference attendees, and the population is all teachers in the state.

D The sample is all conference attendees, and the population is the 50 conference attendees.

The sample is the average number of years that all conference attendees have taught, and the population is
E
all conference attendees.

28. At a large conference of teachers from a variety of subjects, a random sample of 50 mathematics teachers
attending the conference was selected. Among the selected mathematics teachers, 28 percent had taken one
or more courses in statistics. For which of the following populations is 28 percent a reasonable estimate of
the percentage of those who have taken one or more courses in statistics?

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A All mathematics teachers

B All mathematics teachers who attended the conference

C All mathematics teachers who have taken one or more courses in statistics

D All teachers who attended the conference

E All teachers

29. To check the effect of cold temperature on the elasticity of two brands of rubber bands, one box of Brand A
and one box of Brand B rubber bands are tested. Ten bands from the Brand A box are placed in a freezer for
two hours and ten bands from the Brand B box are kept at room temperature. The amount of stretch before
breakage is measured on each rubber band, and the mean for the cold bands is compared to the mean for the
others. Is this a good experimental design?

A No, because the means are not proper statistics for comparison.

B No, because more than two brands should be used.

C No, because more temperatures should be used.

D No, because temperature is confounded with brand.

E Yes

30. Measurements of water quality were taken from a river downstream from an abandoned chemical dumpsite.
Concentrations of a certain chemical were obtained from 9 measurements taken at the surface of the water, 9
measurements taken at mid-depth of the water, and 9 measurements taken at the bottom of the water. What
type of study was conducted, and what is the response variable of the study?

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A An experiment was conducted, and the response variable is the concentration of the chemical.

B An experiment was conducted, and the response variable is the depth of the water.

C A census was conducted, and the response variable is the depth of the water.

D An observational study was conducted, and the response variable is the concentration of the chemical.

E An observational study was conducted, and the response variable is the depth of the water.

The director of a community recreation center conducted a six-week study to examine the effects of four
31.
types of exercise—strength training, flexibility training, aerobics, and jogging—on maximal oxygen
consumption. From the members who participated, the director randomly assigned members to each
exercise type. Maximal oxygen consumption was measured for each member at the beginning of the study
and again at the end of the six weeks. The director examined the change in maximal oxygen consumption
for each member. Which of the following statements is a correct description of a feature of the study?

A The study has replication because there are four types of exercise.

B The study has replication because it was conducted over a six-week period.

C The response variable is the type of exercise with the greatest change in maximal oxygen consumption.

D The treatments in the study are strength training, flexibility training, aerobics, and jogging.

E The experimental units are the four different types of exercise.

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32. Some contact lens wearers report problems with dryness in their eyes. A study was conducted to evaluate
the effectiveness of a new eye-drop solution to relieve dryness for contact lens wearers. Twenty-five
volunteers who wore contact lenses agreed to use the new solution for one month. At the end of the month,
36 percent of the volunteers reported that the new solution was effective in relieving dryness. The company
that produced the new eye-drop solution concluded that using the new solution is more effective in relieving
dryness than using no solution. Which of the following best explains why the study does not support such a
conclusion?

A The sample size was too small.

B The study had no control group.

C The participants were volunteers.

D The participants self-reported the frequency with which they used the new solution.

E The participants self-reported the effectiveness of the new solution.

33. Researchers used two footballs of the same size to examine the effect of helium on kicking distance. One
football was filled with air, and the other was filled with helium. Eleven people participated in the study.
Each person kicked the football filled with air and the football filled with helium, and the kicking distances,
in yards, were recorded. The football that was kicked first was determined by the flip of a fair coin, and the
people did not know which football was filled with air and which was filled with helium. What type of study
was conducted by the researchers and, of the following, which is the appropriate t-interval for inference?

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A A completely randomized design and a t-interval for a difference between means for independent samples

B A completely randomized design and a t-interval for a mean difference

C A matched-pairs design and a t-interval for a difference between means for independent samples

D A matched-pairs design and a t-interval for a mean difference

E An observational study and a t-interval for a difference between means for independent samples

34. Each person in a simple random sample of 2,000 received a survey, and 317 people returned their survey.
How could nonresponse cause the results of the survey to be biased?

A Those who did not respond reduced the sample size, and small samples have more bias than large samples.

B Those who did not respond caused a violation of the assumption of independence.

C Those who did not respond were indistinguishable from those who did not receive the survey.

Those who did not respond represent a stratum, changing the simple random sample into a stratified random
D
sample.

E Those who did respond may differ in some important way from those who did not respond.

35. As part of a study on facility needs, the administrators of a university wanted to estimate the percent of
students who use the exercise facilities on a regular basis. From the 34,000 students who attend the
university, a random sample of 370 male students and 400 female students was selected. Of the 770 students
selected, 493 students indicated that they use the exercise facilities on a regular basis. What are the
population and the sample of the study?

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The population is the 770 students who were selected, and the sample is the 493 students who indicated that
A
they use the exercise facilities on a regular basis.

The population is the 770 students who were selected, and the sample is whether each student in the survey
B
uses the exercise facility on a regular basis.

The population is the 34,000 students who attend the university, and the sample is whether each student in
C
the survey is male or female.

The population is the 34,000 students who attend the university, and the sample is the 770 students who
D
were selected.

The population is the 34,000 students who attend the university, and the sample is the 493 students who
E
indicated that they use the exercise facilities on a regular basis.

36. A dog food company wishes to test a new high-protein formula for puppy food to determine whether it
promotes faster weight gain than the existing formula for that puppy food. Puppies participating in an
experiment will be weighed at weaning (when they begin to eat puppy food) and will be weighed at one-
month intervals for one year. In designing this experiment, the investigators wish to reduce the variability
due to natural differences in puppy growth rates. Which of the following strategies is most appropriate for
accomplishing this?

A Block on dog breed and randomly assign puppies to existing and new formula groups within each breed.

Block on geographic location and randomly assign puppies to existing and new formula groups within each
B
geographic area.

Stratify on dog breed and randomly sample puppies within each breed. Then assign puppies by breed to
C
either the existing or the new formula.

Stratify on geographic location of the puppies and randomly sample puppies within each geographic area.
D
Then assign puppies by geographic area to either the existing or the new formula.

Stratify on gender and randomly sample puppies within gender groups. Then assign puppies by gender to
E
either the existing or the new formula.

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37. A study was conducted to evaluate the impact of taking a nutritional supplement on a person’s reaction time.
One hundred volunteers were placed into one of three groups according to their athletic ability: low,
moderate, or high. Participants in each group were randomly assigned to take either the nutritional
supplement or a placebo for six weeks. At the end of the six weeks, participants were given a coordination
task. The reaction time in completing the task was recorded for each participant. The study compared the
reaction times between those taking the supplement and those taking the placebo within each athletic ability
level. Which of the following is the best description of the study?

A A randomized block design

B A completely randomized design

C A matched-pairs design

D A randomized observational study

E A stratified observational study

To compare the effectiveness of two treatments, researchers conducted a well-designed experiment using a
38.
randomized block design in which the subjects were blocked by age-group (under years and years or
older). Which of the following must be true about the randomized block design of the experiment?

A The number of subjects in each block is different.

B Treatments are randomly assigned to subjects within each block.

C The design cannot have a control group because subjects are blocked by age-group.

The experiment uses a matched-pairs design, where subjects from one block are paired with subjects from
D
the other block.

The subjects in one block receive one treatment, and the subjects in the other block receive the other
E
treatment.

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39. A local television news station includes a viewer survey question about a current issue at the beginning of
every evening news broadcast. Viewers are invited to use social media to respond to the question. The
results of the survey are shared with the audience at the end of each broadcast. In relation to the opinions of
the population of the region, which of the following is a possible reason why the results of such surveys
could be biased?
I. Viewers with strong opinions about the current issue are more likely to respond than are viewers without
strong opinions.
II. The opinions of viewers of one television station are not necessarily representative of the population of a
region.
III. Viewers with access to social media are not necessarily representative of the population of a region.

A I only

B II only

C III only

D II and III only

E I, II and III

40. Researchers wanted to investigate whether babies have a sense of right and wrong. They showed each of 60
babies a puppet show in which a red puppet was trying to open a heavy box lid. A second puppet, called the
helper, would try to help the red puppet open the box, while a third puppet, called the hinderer, would try to
slam the box lid down. After watching the show, each baby was presented with a tray containing the helper
puppet and the hinderer puppet, and the researchers recorded which puppet the baby reached for. The
researchers wanted to determine whether the babies would reach for the helper puppet more than for the
hinderer puppet.

As part of the show, a green puppet and a yellow puppet served as the helper and hinderer. For each baby, a
coin was tossed to determine which color would serve which role. Which of the following is the most
important reason for the random assignment of color to role in the study?

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Slamming the lid might cause wear on the hinderer puppet after 60 shows. The random assignment of color
A
to role permits more even wear between the helper and the hinderer.

The puppeteer might grow tired of doing the same show with the same puppet colors. The random
B
assignment of color to role keeps the show fresh for each performance.

If the same role is played by the same color puppet, the babies might show a preference for the color instead
C
of a preference for the role.

The random assignment of color to role allows the researchers to determine if one color is better than
D
another in teaching babies right from wrong.

Boys and girls might prefer different colors. The random assignment of color to role ensures that the show is
E
equally accessible to boys and girls.

41. A polling firm is interested in surveying a representative sample of registered voters in the United States.
The firm has automated its sampling so that random phone numbers within the United States are called.
Each time a number is called, the procedure below is followed.
• If there is no response or if an answering machine is reached, another number is automatically called.
• If a person answers, a survey worker verifies that the person is at least 18 years of age.
• If the person is not at least 18 years of age, no response is recorded, and another number is called.
• If the person is at least 18 years of age, that person is surveyed.
Some people claim the procedure being used does not permit the results to be extended to all registered
voters. Which of the following is NOT a legitimate concern about the procedure being used?

A Registered voters with children under the age of 18 years may be underrepresented in the sample.

B Registered voters with unlisted telephone numbers may be underrepresented in the sample.

C Registered voters who have more than one telephone number may be overrepresented in the sample.

D Registered voters who live in households consisting of more than one voter may be underrepresented.

E People who are not registered to vote may bias the sample results.

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42. In a recent poll of 1,500 randomly selected eligible voters, only 525 (35 percent) said that they did not vote
in the last election. However, a vote count showed that 80 percent of eligible voters actually did not vote in
the last election. Which of the following types of bias is most likely to have occurred in the poll?

A Nonresponse bias

B Sampling bias

C Selection bias

D Response bias

E Undercoverage bias

43. The transportation department of a large city wants to estimate the proportion of residents who would use a
system of aerial gondolas to commute to work. The gondolas would be part of the city’s effort to relieve
traffic congestion. The department asked a random sample of residents whether they would use the
gondolas. The residents could respond with yes, no, or maybe. Which of the following is the best description
of the method for data collection used by the department?

A A census

B A sample survey

C An experiment with a completely randomized design

D An experiment with a randomized block design

E An experiment with a matched-pairs design

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44. A school principal wanted to investigate student opinion about the food served in the school cafeteria. The
principal selected at random samples of 50 first-year students, 50 second-year students, 50 third-year
students, and 50 fourth-year students to complete a questionnaire. Which of the following best describes the
principal’s sampling plan?

A A stratified random sample

B A simple random sample

C A cluster sample

D A convenience sample

E A systematic sample

45. Publishers of a magazine wish to determine what proportion of the magazine's 50,000 subscribers are
pleased with their subscription. The publishers intend to mail a survey to 1,000 subscribers randomly
selected from those who have received the magazine for 5 years or more. This introduces selection bias,
since long-subscribing customers are more likely to be pleased with their subscription. Which of the
following would best eliminate selection bias?

Mail surveys to 2,000 subscribers randomly selected from those who have received the magazine for 5 years
A
or more.

Mail surveys to 1,000 subscribers randomly selected from those who have received the magazine for 1 year
B
or less.

C Mail surveys to 1,000 subscribers randomly selected from all subscribers.

Mail surveys to 1,000 subscribers randomly selected from those who have received the magazine for 5 years
D or more and 1,000 subscribers randomly selected from those who have received the magazine for 1 year or
less.

Mail surveys to 500 subscribers randomly selected from a group who have received a free six-month
E
subscription within the past year.

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46. A recent study examined 699 car accidents in Toronto over a fourteen-month period. Records of phone-
service providers were used to determine whether the driver was using a cell phone during or immediately
before the accident. Overall, the researchers found that drivers using cell phones were 4.3 times as likely to
have an accident as drivers who were not using cell phones. The result was statistically significant. Which of
the following can be concluded from this study?

A Cell phone use increases the likelihood of a car accident.

B There is an association between cell phone use and accidents, but not necessarily a causal relationship.

C There is a correlation between cell phone use and accidents, but not necessarily an association.

D The association between cell phone use and accidents is negative.

E Cell phone use causes more accidents in Canada, but not necessarily in the United States.

47. A program exists to encourage more middle school students to major in math and science when they go to
college. The organizers of the program want to estimate the proportion of students who, after completing the
program, go on to major in math or science in college. The organizers will select a sample of students from
a list of all students who completed the program. Which of the following sampling methods describes a
stratified random sample?

A Select all female students on the list.

B Randomly select 50 students on the list.

C Randomize the names on the list and then select every tenth student on the randomized list.

Randomly select 25 names from the female students on the list and randomly select 25 names from the male
D
students on the list.

E Randomly select 50 students on the list who are attending college.

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 AP Statistics Test Booklet

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As part of a demographic study, a college administrator needed to survey a sample of students from the
48.
college. From each major offered at the college, the administrator randomly selected percent of the
students with that major to participate in the survey. Which of the following is the best description of the
type of sample selected by the administrator?

A Cluster sample

B Convenience sample

C Simple random sample

D Stratified random sample

E Systematic random sample

49. A newspaper editor wants to investigate whether residents of the city support a proposal to build a new high
school football stadium. The editor hires a polling firm to conduct a survey and requests that a sample of
500 residents be selected using a stratified sampling design based on voting districts within the city. Which
of the following methods will achieve the desired sampling design?

A Send a survey to all city residents and use the first 500 returned surveys for the sample.

Select a random sample from each voting district based on the proportion of city residents in the district so
B
that a total of 500 is obtained.

Select one voting district at random, and then select a random sample of 500 from the selected voting
C
district.

Alphabetize a list of all city residents, and then select the first 500 residents on the list, classifying those
D
selected by voting district.

E Select the first 500 city residents who attend the next high school football game.

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50. A survey was administered to parents of high school students in a certain state to see if the parents thought
the students’ academic needs were being met. To select the sample, the parents were divided into two
groups— one group of parents who live in cities with populations of more than 100,000 and the other group
of parents who live in cities with populations less than or equal to 100,000. A random sample of 100 parents
from each group was taken. Which of the following statements about the sample of 200 parents is true?

A It is a convenience sample because the sample of parents was easily obtained.

B It is a stratified random sample because parents were randomly selected from each group.

C It is a random cluster sample because parents were randomly selected from each group.

D It is a random cluster sample because groups of high schools were randomly selected.

E It is a systematic sample because the parents were systematically divided into two groups.

51. A researcher wanted to estimate the average amount of money spent on extracurricular activities per school
in a certain region. The researcher randomly selected 20 public schools and 20 private schools in the region
to use for a sample. Which of the following best describes the type of sample that was taken?

A A census

B A cluster sample

C A convenience sample

D A simple random sample

E A stratified random sample

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52. A regional transportation authority is interested in estimating the mean number of minutes working adults in
the region spend commuting to work on a typical day. A random sample of working adults will be selected
from each of three strata: urban, suburban, and rural. Selected individuals will be asked the number of
minutes they spend commuting to work on a typical day. Why is stratification used in this situation?

A To remove bias when estimating the proportion of working adults living in urban, suburban, and rural areas

B To remove bias when estimating the mean commuting time

C To reduce bias when estimating the mean commuting time

To decrease the variability in estimates of the proportion of working adults living in urban, suburban, and
D
rural areas

E To decrease the variability in estimates of the mean commuting time

53. The student government at a high school wants to conduct a survey of student opinion. It wants to begin
with a simple random sample of 60 students. Which of the following survey methods will produce a simple
random sample?

A Survey the first 60 students to arrive at school in the morning.

B Survey every 10th student entering the school library until 60 students are surveyed.

C Use random numbers to choose 15 each of first-year, second-year, third-year, and fourth-year students.

Number the cafeteria seats. Use a table of random numbers to choose seats and interview the students until
D
60 have been interviewed.

Number the students in the official school roster. Use a table of random numbers to choose 60 students from
E
this roster for the survey.

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54. The buyer for an electronics store wants to estimate the proportion of defective wireless game controllers in
a shipment of 5,000 controllers from the store's primary supplier. The shipment consists of 200 boxes each
containing 25 controllers. The buyer numbers the boxes from 1 to 200 and randomly selects six numbers in
that range. She then opens the six boxes with the corresponding numbers, examines all 25 controllers in
each of these boxes, and determines the proportion of the 150 controllers that are defective. What type of
sample is this?

A Biased random sample

B Nonrandom sample

C Simple random sample

D Stratified random sample

E Cluster random sample

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