Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Chapter 6: Sampling: Who, What, and How Many?
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. The interval selected for systematic sampling is called the ______ interval.
a. systematic
b. population
c. critical
d. sampling
2. Snowball or network sampling relies on ______.
a. random sampling
b. identifying every member of a group
c. members of a group introducing the researcher to other members of the group
d. stratified sampling
3. Standard error ______ as sample size decreases.
a. stays the same
b. increases
c. decreases
d. changes unpredictably
4. Sampling frames are the ______.
a. master lists from which a sample is selected
b. sample selected for study
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
c. geographic areas of the samples selected for study
d. population sampled for study
5. In ______ sampling, every unit has an equal chance of being selected.
a. convenience
b. judgmental
c. network
d. probability
6. A study that includes every member of a population is a ______.
a. sample
b. random sample
c. sampling frame
d. census
7. Every single unit of a group you want to study makes up a ______.
a. sample
b. sampling frame
c. survey
d. population
8. What two things govern the size of your sample if you want to generalize from
the sample to a wider population?
a. size of the population and level of error you are prepared to live with
b. homogeneity of the population and size of the population
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
c. homogeneity of the population and level of error you are prepared to live with
d. the sampling interval and homogeneity of the population
9. What are some examples of random sampling?
a. throwing dice, drawing names out of a hat, and convenience sampling
b. throwing dice, drawing names out of a hat, and lotteries
c. convenience sampling, drawing names out of a hat, and lotteries
d. quota sampling, drawing names out of a hat, and lotteries
10. Random sampling ensures that a sample will ______.
a. include individuals with unlisted phone numbers
b. be of the correct size
c. have individual units, each with an equal probability of being selected
d. be diverse
11. Which of the following sampling methods is a probability sampling method?
a. convenience
b. purposive
c. volunteer
d. stratified random sampling
12. Which of the following sampling methods is a nonprobability sampling
method?
a. snowball sampling
b. lotteries
c. random sampling
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
d. stratified random sampling
13. Stratified random sampling is a way to ensure that ______.
a. individuals important to the researcher are selected into a sample
b. research participants have a chance to nominate other individuals to join the
study
c. small but important subgroups of a population are captured in a sample
d. research participants have an opportunity to shape the research project
14. What are sampling units?
a. individual researchers who do the sampling
b individual units selected for study
c. geographic units from which individuals are selected
d. lists from which individual research participants are selected
15. Snowball sampling occurs when ______.
a. researchers want to increase their sample size
b. individuals in a sample identify other individuals suitable for the sample
c. researchers repeat the study again and again
d. individuals in a sample get invited back into further research projects
16. Convenience sampling is sampling based on convenience to ______.
a. the research participants
b. funding agencies
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
c. the researcher
d. the researcher and the research participants
17. Sample size depends on all of these EXPECT ______.
a. the nature and purpose of the research
b. the level of confidence needed in the research results
c. the homogeneity of the sampled population
d. style of questions in the survey
True/False
1. The interval selected for systematic sampling is called the sampling interval.
2. Multistage cluster sampling works by sampling progressively smaller sampling
frames.
3. Standard error decreases as sample size decreases.
4. Generally, larger sample sizes reduce sampling error.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
5. To pilot a survey is to run it a second time after a survey to check for any
changes.
6. Random digit dialing is a procedure for selecting households with publicly
listed telephone numbers.
7. A concern with Internet sampling frames is that there is no comprehensive
directory of or standard format for email addresses.
8. A concern with Internet sampling frames is that not every email user has an
equal chance of being sampled.
9. Convenience, judgmental, quota, network, and snowball are all types of
nonprobability sampling.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
10. Probability samples are based on a sampling judgment by the researcher.
11. Findings from web-based surveys may not be generalizable to the wider
population.
12. A sample consists of every individual of a type you want to study.
13. Sampling frames are the master lists from which a population is selected.
14. Snowball sampling strives to obtain representative samples that statistically
represent the overall population.
15. The basic assumption behind probability sampling is that the sample will
reflect the broader population from which it is drawn.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
16. Snowball sampling attempts to replicate in a sample the features that the
researcher thinks are important in the population.
17. Stratified random sampling means sampling every nth person on a list.
18. Quota sampling is one type of purposive sampling.
19. Convenience sampling is named that due to the convenience for the
researcher.
20. An advantage of a volunteer sample is they’re more likely to assist with an
issue or engage in activism.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
21. In random sampling, the researcher is not the agent of selection, it’s all “luck
of the draw.”
22. A random number generator would likely be used in volunteer sampling.
23. Ethical considerations might influence your sampling style.
24. Ethical considerations might influence the number of people in your sample.
25. One issue with postal sampling frames is its slow turnaround.
26. One issue with postal sampling frames is the high response rates.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
27. One challenge with traditional telephone sampling frames is many
households no longer have a landline.
28. The biggest challenge of Internet sampling is the difficulty in developing an
Internet sampling frame.
29. Convenience sampling is useful for pretesting a study.
30. One drawback of snowball sampling is friends may recommend friends for
the study, and their opinions might be very similar.
31. Nonprobability samples are based on a judgment by the researcher.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
32. Probability samples are based on a judgment by the researcher.
33. Postal sampling frames are particularly useful for in-person surveys.
Essay/Short Answer
1. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of sampling from a list of postal
addresses and a list of email addresses.
2. Explain the differences among a population, a census, and a sample.
3. Explain the difference between nonprobability and probability sampling and
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
why the difference is important.
4. Explain the difference between random sampling and stratified random
sampling.
5. Explain the basic idea of a sampling frame, with examples of how you might
develop one for a research topic of interest to you.
6. Explain the basic concept of random sampling, with examples of how you
might do random sampling for a research project that interests you.
7. Identify and discuss the thinking that should go into deciding on a sample size
that will provide credible research results.
Instructor Resource
Treadwell and Davis, Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
8. Explain, with examples, what is meant by the term stratified random sampling.
9. Explain how you might accurately capture public opinion in a public-opinion
survey. What type of sampling would be best for this?
10. “A survey of 1,000 people will provide more insight on human communication
than interviews with 10 people.” Support or refute that statement.