WEEK 15:

TEST REVIEW

 

We have probably already made most of the student class presentations. They just drew up their final models on the board, and talked about what they found and what ideas they have for future research.

 

The best way to review for the final exam is to take a look at a previous exam:

Political Analysis, Optional Final Exam (Spring 2016 sample)

 

  1. (20 points) A multiple regression analysis of the 2010-2014 Mississippi Poll data examines the causes of party identification using five independent variables. The variables are coded as follows:

 

Party identification ranges from 1 for Strong Democrat to 7 for Strong Republican.

Ideology ranges from 1 for Very Liberal to 5 for Very Conservative.

Race is coded as 1 for White, and 2 for African American.

Family Income is coded as 1 for Under $10,000 to 8 for Over $70,000.

Sex is coded as 1 for Male and 2 for Female.

Age ranges from 18 to 93, and is age in years.

 

The adjusted R squared for this multiple regression equation is .52

 

The Betas or standardized regression coefficients and their signs are:

Ideology = +.276

Race = -.531

Income = +.157

Sex = -.035

Age = -.052

 

The significance levels of these five predictors are:

Ideology = .001

Race = .001

Income = .001

Sex = .129

Age = .023

 

Answer the following questions:

 

A)    How good a job are these five predictors doing in explaining party identification? That is, what percentage of the variance in party identification is being explained by these five independent variables?

 

B)    What predictor is MOST important in affecting party identification? What predictor is Second in importance? What predictor is Third in importance? What predictor is Fourth in importance? What predictor is Least important?

 

C)    List each predictor that is statistically significant at the .05 level or even more significant level.

 

D)    What category of each independent variable is most Republican? Circle the correct category in each of the following pairs:

Very Liberal or Very Conservative

White or African American

Under $10,000 or Over $70,000

Males or Females

The younger in age, or the older in age

 

  1. (10 points) The 2010-2014 Mississippi Poll asks Mississippians whether they favor gay marriage, civil unions, or no legal recognition of gay relationships. The codes range from 1 for support of gay marriage to 3 for opposition to any recognition of gay relationships. The following gives the means or averages for this gay rights variable for each pair of demographic categories. It also provides the t-test for differences between means to indicate whether the differences between the groups on this gay rights variable are statistically significant. For each of the following variables, circle the category or group that is the MOST favorable to gay rights, and indicate by YES or NO whether the differences between the groups are statistically significant. (Please look carefully at how the gay rights variable is coded.)

 

Education: High school dropout mean = 2.10. College graduate mean = 2.22. Significance level = .170

 

Ideology: Liberal = 1.92. Conservative = 2.43. Significance level = .001

 

Age: 18-35 = 1.83. 56-99 = 2.42. Significance level = .001

 

Race: White = 2.34. Black = 1.96. Significance level = .001

 

Sex: Male = 2.29. Female = 2.12. Significance level = .001

 

 

  1. (20 points) What are 10 of the 11 Internal Invalidity problems that can face researchers in the experimental design? You can list them using the correct terminology, or explain what each one is and how it operates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. (6 points) What are the 3 major External Invalidity problems that can face researchers using an experimental design?

 

 

 

 

 

  1. (4 points) What is the key similarity between the Time Series Quasi-Experimental Design, and the Control Series Quasi-Experimental Design? What is the key difference between these two designs, according to the lecturer?

 

 

 

 

6. (8 points) What are the 4 major problems with panel designs, according to the lecturer?

 

 

 

 

  1. (6 points) What are 3 different panel studies, each of which has different time intervals between their waves? Explain what years they were each done in, and what their purpose was.

 

 

 

 

  1. (6 points) Define what the Ecological Fallacy is.

 

 

 

  1. (8 points) What are the 4 major problems with Obtrusive Measures, according to the lecturer?

 

 

 

 

  1. (12 points) What are 6 of the seven types of Unobtrusive Measures, according to the lecturer?