Questions and Answers of Bayesian Statistics An Introduction

The scores on four variables for 20 individuals are reported here: hours of TV (average number of hours of TV viewing each day), occupational prestige (higher scores indicate greater prestige),
Problem 14.8 presented per capita expenditures on education for 15 states, along with rank on income per capita and the percentage of the population that has graduated from high school. The data are
Twelve families have been referred to a counselor, and she has rated each of them on a cohesiveness scale. Also, she has information on family income and number of children currently living at home.
Problem 14.4 presented data on 10 precincts.The information is reproduced here.Take voter turnout as the dependent variable and do the following:a. Find the multiple regression equations
In problem 14.5, crime and population data were presented for each of 10 states. The data are reproduced here.a. Compute the partial correlation coefficient for the relationship between strife (Y)
Data on civil strife (number of incidents), unemployment, and urbanization have been gathered for 10 nations. Take civil strife as the dependent variable. Compute the zero-order correlations among
A scale measuring support for increases in the national defense budget has been administered to a sample. The respondents have also been asked to indicate how many years of school they have completed
In problem 14.1, data regarding voter turnout in five cities was presented. For the sake of convenience, the data for three of the variables are presented again here along with descriptive statistics
Are attitudes about homosexuality related to age? Does the relationship vary by nation? The bivariate relationship between age and approval of homosexuality are presented for Canada and the United
In problem 13.14, we investigated the relationships between income and five dependent variables. Let’s return to two of those relationships and see if sex has any effect on the bivariate
What are the social sources of support for the environmental movement? A recent survey gathered information on level of concern for such issues as global warming and acid rain. Is concern for the
A job-training center is trying to justify its existence to its funding agency. To this end, data on four variables have been collected for each of the 403 trainees served over the past three
Is there a relationship between attitudes on sexuality and age? Are older people more conservative with respect to questions of sexual morality?A national sample of 925 respondents has been
Do long-term patients in mental health facilities become more withdrawn and reclusive over time?A sample of 608 institutionalized patients was rated by a standard “reality orientation scale.” Is
Data on suicide rates, age structure, and unemployment rates have been gathered for 100 census tracts. Suicide and unemployment rates have been dichotomized at the median so that each tract could be
Problem 13.1 concerned the assimilation of a small sample of immigrants. One table showed the relationship between length of residence in the United States and facility with the English language:SOC
Fifteen individuals were randomly selected from the respondents to a public opinion survey, and their scores are reproduced here.a. Calculate Pearson’s r for age (X) and four dependent variables
The following table presents the scores of 15 states on three variables. Compute r and r2 for each combination of variables. Assume that these 15 states are a random sample of all states, and test
The basketball coach at a small local college believes that his team plays better and scores more points in front of larger crowds. The number of points scored and attendance for all home games last
The table below presents the scores of 10 states on each of six variables—three measures of criminal activity as dependent variables and three possible independent variables: unemployment rate,
Data on three variables have been collected for 15 nations. The variables are fertility rate (average number of children born to each woman), education for females (expressed as a percentage of all
The following variables were collected for a random sample of 10 precincts during the last national election. Draw scattergrams and compute r and r2 for each combination of variables and test the
The residents of a housing development for senior citizens have completed a survey in which they indicated how physically active they are and how many visitors they receive each week. Are these two
Occupational prestige scores for a sample of fathers and their oldest son and oldest daughter are presented below.Analyze the relationship between father’s and son’s prestige and the relationship
is highly recommended. If you constructed one for computingb, you already have most of the quantities you will need to solve for r.)e. Assume these cities are a random sample and conduct a test of
Why does voter turnout vary from election to election? For municipal elections in five different cities, information has been gathered on the percent of registered voters who actually voted,
In problem 12.9, we looked at the relationships between five dependent variables and sex. In this exercise, we use income as an independent variable and assess its relationship with this same set of
Twenty ethnic, racial, or national groups were rated by a random sample of white and black students on a Social Distance Scale. Lower scores represent less social distance and less prejudice.How
Following are the scores of a sample of 15 nations on a measure of ethnic diversity (the higher the number, the greater the diversity) and a measure of economic inequality (the higher the score, the
Several years ago, a job-training program began, and a team of social workers screened the candidates for suitability for employment. Now the screening process is being evaluated, and the actual work
In a random sampling, 11 neighborhoods in Leonia, Illinois, have been rated by an urban sociologist on a “quality-of-life” scale (which includes measures of affluence, availability of medical
In a recent survey, a random sample of respondents was asked to indicate how happy they were with their situations in life. Are their responses related to income level?
Are prejudice and level of education related?State your conclusion in a few sentences.
A sample of children has been observed and rated for symptoms of depression. Their parents have been rated for authoritarianism. Is there any relationship between these variables? Write a few
All applicants to the Allegory, New Mexico, Police Academy are given an aptitude test, but the test has never been evaluated to see if test scores are in any way related to job performance. The
Is there a relationship between age and support for traditional gender roles? Is the relationship between the variables different for different nations? The World Values Survey has been administered
Some research has shown that families vary by how they socialize their children to sports, games, and other leisure-time activities. In middle-class families, such activities are carefully monitored
A random sample of 150 cities has been classified as small, medium, or large by population and as high or low on crime rate. Is there a relationship between city size and crime rate?
Compute gamma for the table presented in problem 12.1. If you computed a nominal measure of association for this table previously, compare the measures of association. Are they similar in value? Do
A small sample of non-English-speaking immigrants to the United States has been interviewed about their level of assimilation. Is the pattern of adjustment affected by length of residence in the
Below are the five dependent variables crosstabulated against gender as an independent variable used in problem 11.15. Use column percentages, the maximum difference, and an appropriate measure of
A researcher has conducted a survey on sexual attitudes for a sample of 317 teenagers.The respondents were asked whether they considered premarital sex to be “always wrong” or “OK under certain
A survey of senior citizens who live in either a housing development specifically designed for retirees or an age-integrated neighborhood has been conducted. Is type of living arrangement related to
About half the neighborhoods in a large city have instituted programs to increase citizen involvement in crime prevention. Do these areas experience less crime? Write a few sentences describing the
As the state director of mental health programs, you note that some local mental health facilities have very high rates of staff turnover.You believe that part of this problem is a result of the fact
A needs assessment survey has been distributed in a large corporation. Employees have been asked if they thought that a new policy of casual dress on Fridays would boost company morale. Use column
How consistent are people in their voting habits? Do people vote for the same party from election to election? Below are the results of a poll in which people were asked if they had voted Democrat or
The administration of a local college campus has proposed an increase in the mandatory student fee in order to finance an upgrading of the intercollegiate football program. A survey sampling the
Various supervisors in the city government of Shinbone, Kansas, have been rated on the extent to which they practice authoritarian styles of leadership and decision making. The efficiency of each
(This problem is optional.) A small western town has roughly equal numbers of Hispanic, Asian, and Anglo-American residents. Are the three groups equally represented at town meetings?The attendance
(This problem is optional.) The director of athletics at the local high school wonders if the sports program is getting a proportional amount of support from each of the four classes. If there are
Some results from a survey administered to a nationally representative sample are presented here. For each table, conduct the chi square test of significance and compute column percents. Write a
A researcher is concerned with the relationship between attitudes toward violence and violent behavior. If attitudes “cause” behavior (a very debatable proposition), then people who have positive
Does support for the legalization of marijuana vary by region of the country? The table displays the relationship between the two variables for a random sample of 1020 adult citizens. Is the
An urban planning commissioner has built up a database describing a sample of the neighborhoods in her city and has developed a scale by which each area can be rated for the“quality of life”
Is there a relationship between college class standing and political orientation? Are juniors and seniors significantly different from freshmen and sophomores on this variable? The following table
Is there a relationship between length of marriage and satisfaction with marriage? The necessary information has been collected from a random sample of 100 respondents drawn from a local community.
At a large urban college, about half of the students live off campus in various arrangements, and the other half live in dormitories on campus. Is academic performance dependent on living
A program of pet therapy has been running at a local nursing home. Are the participants in the program more alert and responsive than nonparticipants? The results, drawn from a random sample of
The state Department of Education has rated a sample of local school systems for compliance with state-mandated guidelines for quality. Is the quality of a school system significantly related to the
A local judge has been allowing some individuals convicted of “driving under the influence” to work in a hospital emergency room as an alternative to fines, suspensions, and other penalties. A
A sample of 25 cities have been classified as high or low on their homicide rates and on the number of handguns sold within the city limits. Is there a relationship between these two variables? Do
A local politician is concerned that a program for the homeless in her city is discriminating against blacks and other minorities. The following data were taken from a random sample of black and
Is there a relationship between salary levels and unionization for public employees? The following data represent this relationship for fire departments in a random sample of 100 cities of roughly
Many analysts have noted a “gender gap” in elections for the U.S. presidency, with women more likely to vote for the Democratic candidate. A sample of university faculty has been asked about
and 11.8. For each cell, subtract expected frequency from observed frequency and record the result in column 3. Square the value in column 3 and record the result in column 4, and then divide the
For each of the following tables, calculate the obtained chi square. (HINT: Calculate the expected frequencies for each cell with Formula 11.2.Double-check to make sure you are using the correct row
Does support for suicide (“death with dignity”)vary by social class? Is this relationship different in different nations? Small samples in three nations were asked if it is ever justified for a
A small random sample of respondents has been selected from the General Social Survey database. Each respondent has been classified as either a city dweller, a suburbanite, or a rural dweller. Are
Do older citizens lose interest in politics and current affairs? A brief quiz on recent headline stories was administered to random samples of respondents from each of four different age groups. Is
Does the rate of voter turnout vary significantly by the type of election? A random sample of voting precincts displays the following pattern of voter turnout by election type. Assess the results for
Are sexually active teenagers any better informed about AIDS and other potential health problems related to sex than teenagers who are sexually inactive? A 15-item test of general knowledge about sex
Two separate after-school programs for at-risk teenagers have been implemented in the city of Redland. One is a big-brother/big-sister mentoring program, in which adult volunteers are paired with
In a local community, a random sample of 18 couples has been assessed on a scale that measures the extent to which power and decision making are shared (lower scores) or monopolized by one
a. The Society for Ethical Culture provides non-theistic services in a congregational setting.Until three years ago, the membership of the Persipolis, New York, society grew steadily every year, but
Conduct an ANOVA test for each of the following sets of scores. (HINT: Follow the computational shortcut outlined in Section 10.4, and keep track of all sums and means by constructing computational
Some results from a survey administered to a nationally representative sample are reported here in terms of differences by sex. Which of these differences, if any, are significant? Write a sentence
At St. Algebra College, the sociology and psychology departments have been feuding for years about the respective quality of their programs. In an attempt to resolve the dispute, you have gathered
A large counseling center needs to evaluate several experimental programs. Write a paragraph summarizing the results of these tests. Did the new programs work?a. One program is designed for divorce
A survey has been administered to random samples of respondents in each of five nations. For each nation, are men and women significantly different in terms of their reported levels of
For each problem, test the sample statistics for the significance of the difference.a. Sample 1 Sample 2(Members) (Nonmembers) 10.3 12.3 s1 2.7 s2 4.2 N1 40 N2 55 X2 X1
As the director of the local Boys Club, you have claimed for years that membership in your club reduces juvenile delinquency. Now a cynical member of your funding agency has demanded proof of your
Are senior citizens who live in retirement communities more socially active than those who live in ageintegrated communities? Write a sentence or two explaining the results of these tests. (HINT:
Are college students who live in dormitories significantly more involved in campus life than students who commute to campus? The following data report the SOC E-Mail Messages Sample 1 Sample 2(Middle
Are middle-class families more likely than working-class families to maintain contact with kin? Write a paragraph summarizing the results of these tests.a. A sample of middle-class families reported
A number of years ago, the road and highway maintenance department of Sin City, Nevada, began recruiting minority group members through an affirmative action program. In terms of efficiency ratings,
Do athletes in different sports vary in terms of their readiness for college? Reported here are College Board scores of random samples of college basketball and football players. Is there a
before attempting to solve Formula 9.2. Also, in Formula 9.4, perform the mathematical operations in the proper sequence. First square each sample standard deviation, then divide by the proper N, add
For each of the following, test for the significance of the difference in sample statistics using the five-step model. (HINT: Remember to solve Formula
The following essay questions review the basic principles and concepts of inferential statistics. The order of the questions roughly follows the five-step model.a. Hypothesis testing or significance
The city manager of Shinbone has received a complaint from the local union of firefighters to the effect that they are underpaid. Not having much time, the city manager gathers the records of a
You are the head of an agency seeking funding for a program to reduce unemployment among teenage males. Nationally, the unemployment rate for this group is 18%. A random sample of 323 teenage males
A researcher has compiled a file of information on a random sample of 317 families that have chronic, long-term patterns of child abuse. Reported here are some of the characteristics of the sample,
Statewide, the police clear by arrest 35% of the robberies and 42% of the aggravated assaults reported to them. A researcher takes a random sample of all the robberies (N 207) and aggravated assaults
In a recent statewide election, 55% of the voters rejected a proposal to institute a state lottery. In a random sample of 150 urban precincts, 49% of the voters rejected the proposal. Is the
A random sample of 113 felons convicted of nonviolent crimes in a state prison system completed a program designed to improve their employment possibilities before being released on parole.
A survey shows that 10% of the population is victimized by property crime each year.A random sample of 527 older citizens (65 years or more of age) shows a victimization rate of 14%. Are older people
Nationally, the per capita monthly fuel oil bill is $110. A random sample of 36 southeastern cities average $78, with a standard deviation of $4. Is the difference significant? Summarize your
A random sample of 26 local sociology graduates scored an average of 458 on the GRE advanced sociology test, with a standard deviation of 20. Is this significantly different from the national average
A school system has assigned several hundred“chronic and severe underachievers” to an alternative educational experience. To assess the program, a random sample of 35 has been selected for

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