Data Analysis and Statistics, Part 3
Question 1: Explain survey studies.
Answer 1: A survey study is a method of gathering information from a small group in an attempt to gain enough information to make accurate general assumptions about the population. Once a survey study is completed, the results are then put into a summary report.Survey studies are generally in the format of surveys, interviews, or questionnaires as part of an effort to find opinions of a particular group or to find facts about a group.It is important to note that the findings from a survey study are only as accurate as the sample chosen from the population. Inappropriate samples, such as ones that are too small for the population size, or ones that are not chosen purely at random, will not yield accurate results for the population. Generalizations concerning the population cannot be made in these cases.
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Question 2: Explain experimental studies.
Answer 2: Experimental studies take correlational studies one step farther, in that they attempt to prove or disprove a cause-and-effect relationship. These studies are performed by conducting a series of experiments to test the hypothesis. For a study to be scientifically accurate, it must have both an experimental group that receives the specified treatment and a control group that does not get the treatment. This is the type of study pharmaceutical companies do as part of drug trials for new medications. Experimental studies are only valid when proper scientific method has been followed. In other words, the experiment must be well-planned and executed without bias in the testing process. All subjects must be selected at random, and the process of determining which subject is in which of the two groups must also be completely random.
Question 3: Explain observational studies.
Answer 3: Observational studies are the opposite of experimental studies. In observational studies, the tester cannot change or in any way control all of the variables in the test. For example, a study to determine which gender does better in math classes in school is strictly observational. You cannot change a person’s gender, and you cannot change the subject being studied. The big downfall of the observational study is that you have no way of proving a cause-and-effect relationship because you cannot control outside influences. Events outside of school can influence a student’s performance in school, and observational studies would not take that into considerationzza4zz
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