MDM4U Definitions

Question 1

Response Variable (aka. Random Variable)

Answer 1

Characteristic we are interested in measuring

Question 2

Target Population

Answer 2

Set of all people, objects, or processes we want to make conclusions about

Question 3

Study Population

Answer 3

Who you have access to during a study

Question 4

Sample

Answer 4

Who you get data from in a study

Question 5

Simple Random Sample

Answer 5

Every member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen (e.g. drawing names from a hat)

Question 6

Systematic Sample

Answer 6

Members are picked at regular intervals (e.g. Picking every 5th person to do a survey)

Question 7

Stratified Sample

Answer 7

Population is split into groups (Stratas) and a proportional number of people are selected from each strata

Question 8

Cluster Sample

Answer 8

A strata is randomly chosen, then all or most of the members from the strata are surveyed (e.g. Each class in the school is a strata, one class is randomly chosen to survey)

Question 9

Multistage Sample

Answer 9

Larger strata is randomly selected, then smaller strata, then individuals. (e.g. stratify by class, then by grade, then survey every third person from a class)

Question 10

Census

Answer 10

All members of a population are surveyed

Question 11

Voluntary Response Sample

Answer 11

Researcher invites responses from anyone in the target population

Question 12

Convenience Sample

Answer 12

Respondents are chosen because of the accessibility

Question 13

Categorical Data

Answer 13

Words

Information that can be broken into distinct categories

Question 14

Numeric Data

Answer 14

Numbers

Information in number form

Question 15

Nominal Data

Answer 15

Categorical data organized by name

No ‘natural’ order

E.g. Canada, Russia, Sweden, etc.

Question 16

Ordinal Data

Answer 16

Categorical data that can be put into a natural order

E.g. Strongly agree, agree, disagree, etc.

Question 17

Continuous Data

Answer 17

Numeric data that can take all values in a range

Question 18

Discrete Data

Answer 18

Numeric data that can only take a finite number of values (usually integers)

Question 19

Primary Data

Answer 19

Data collected by the researcher

Question 20

Secondary Data

Answer 20

Data from another source that the researcher uses

Question 21

Qualitative Data

Answer 21

Descriptive data, usually collected in interviews, difficult to analyse

Question 22

Quantitative Data

Answer 22

Numeric data, usually collected by surveys, easy to analyse but may lack meaning

Question 23

Experimental Data

Answer 23

Where the researcher manipulates differences between subjects

Question 24

Observational Data

Answer 24

Where the researcher observes differences between subjects, but does not manipulate them

Question 25

Closed Questions

Answer 25

Requires the respondent to choose from a list of answers (Checklist, Ranking, Rating)

Question 26

Open Questions

Answer 26

Respondents answer in their own words

Question 27

Sampling Bias

Answer 27

Sampling does not reflect characteristics of the population. May occur because of issues with sampling technique or data-collection method

Question 28

Non-Response Bias

Answer 28

When a certain group is under-represented because they choose not to participate

Question 29

Measurement Bias

Answer 29

When the data-collection method over- or under-estimates a characteristic of a population

Question 30

Response Bias

Answer 30

When participants purposely give false answers

Question 31

Leading question

Answer 31

Contains language that influences the respondent's answers

Question 32

Cause-and-Effect Relationships

Answer 32

A change in 'X' causes a change in 'Y'

Question 33

Common-Cause Factor

Answer 33

External variable causes two variables to change in the same way

Question 34

Reverse Cause-and-Effect

Answer 34

Dependent and independent variables are reversed

Question 35

Accidental Relationship

Answer 35

Correlation exists without any relationship between the variables

Question 36

Presumed Relationship

Answer 36

Correlation does not seem to be accidental, even though no cause-and-effect relationship or common cause factor is apparent

Question 37

Extraneous Variable

Answer 37

Affects the dependent or independent variable

Question 38

Control Group

Answer 38

The independent variable does not change

Question 39

Experimental Group

Answer 39

The independent variable changes