Chapter 7 Quiz Question - Measuring Accuracy of Samples

Nancy wants to determine how accurate her sample statistic is from the parameter of the population she is studying. Which of the following should she calculate to obtain this information?

a) standard deviation
b) sampling error
c) confidence level
d) confidence interval
















 Answers:
 a) incorrect - Standard deviation is "a measure of dispersion around the mean" (414). It is not directly related to the accuracy of of a sample statistic from the parameter of a population.  However, one should note that  "standard error is the standard deviation of the sampling distribution" (Babbie 196).
b) correct - Sampling error is "the degree of error to be expected in probability sampling", which is what Nancy wants to know (196).
c) incorrect - Confidence level, a component of sampling error, is is "the estimated probability that a population parameter lies within a given confidence interval" (197). While Nancy would want to know this information, it would not tell her everything she needs to know about the accuracy of her sample statistic.
d) incorrect - Confidence interval, a component of sampling error, is "the range of values within which a population value is estimated to lie" (197). While Nancy would want to know this information, it would not tell her everything she needs to know about the accuracy of her sample statistic.