MAT 350 Any documents needed to complete the assignment questions are attached below. Essay #1: The Gallup organization releases the results of recent polls at its website, www.gallup.com. Visit t

MAT 350

Any documents needed to complete the assignment questions are attached below.

Essay #1: The Gallup organization releases the results of recent polls at its website, www.gallup.com. Visit this site and read an article of interest.

1. Describe the population of interest.
2. Describe the sample that was collected.
3. Describe a parameter of interest.
4. Describe the statistic used to describe the parameter in (c).

A Gallup poll indicated that 74% of Americans who had yet to retire look to retirement accounts (such as 401(k), IRA, and Keogh account) as major funding sources when they retire. Interestingly, 40% also said that they looked to stocks or stock market mutual fund investments as major funding sources when they retire. (data extracted from D. Jacobs, “Investors Look Beyond Social Security to Fund Retirement,” www.gallup.com, March 28, 2011). The results are based on telephone interviews conducted March 24, 2011, with 1,000 or more adults living in the United States, aged 18 and older.

1. Describe the population of interest.
2. Describe the sample that was collected.
3. Is 74% a parameter or a statistic? Explain.
4. Is 40% a parameter or a statistic?

Essay #2: A manufacturer of cat food was planning to survey households in the United States to determine purchasing habits of cat owners. Among the variables to be collected are the following:

• The primary place of purchase for cat food
• Whether dry or moist cat food is purchased
• The number of cats living in the household
• Whether any cat living in the household is pedigreed

1. For each of the four items listed, indicate whether the variable is categorical or numerical. If it is numerical, is it discrete or continuous?
2. Develop five categorical questions for the survey.
3. Develop five numerical questions for the survey.

Essay #3: In 2008, a university in the mid-western United States surveyed its full-time first-year students after they completed their first semester. Surveys were electronically distributed to all 3,727 students, and responses were obtained from 2,821 students. Of the students surveyed, 90.1% indicated that they had studied with other students, and 57.1% indicated they had tutored another student. The report also noted that 61.3% of the students surveyed came to class late at least once, and 45.8% admitted to being bored in class at least once.

1. Describe the population of interest.
2. Describe the sample that was collected.
3. Describe a parameter of interest.
4. Describe the statistic used to estimate the parameter in (c).

Essay #4: The Data and Story Library (DASL) is an online library of data files and stories that illustrate the use of basic statistical methods. Visit Data and Story Library, click DASL and explore a data set of interest to you.

1. Describe a variable in the data set you selected.
2. Is the variable categorical or numerical?
3. If the variable is numerical, is it discrete or continuous?

Essay #5: A sample of 62 undergraduate students answered the following survey:

1. What is your gender? Female ______ Male ______
2. What is your age (as of last birthday)? ______
3. What is your current registered class designation? Freshman ______ Sophomore ______ Junior ______ Senior ______
4. What is your major area of study? Accounting ______ Computer Information Systems ______ Economics/ Finance ______ International Business ______ Management ______ Retailing/ Marketing ______ Other ______ Undecided ______
5. At the present time, do you plan to attend graduate school? Yes ______ No ______ Not sure ______
6. What is your current cumulative grade point average? ______
7. What is your current employment status? Full time ______ Part time ______ Unemployed ______
8. What would you expect your starting annual salary (in $ 000) to be if you were to seek full- time employment immediately after obtaining your bachelor’s degree? ______
9. For how many social networking sites are you registered? ______
10. How satisfied are you with the food and dining services on campus? ______ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Extremely Neutral Extremely unsatisfied satisfied
11. About how much money did you spend this semester for textbooks and supplies? ______
12. What type of computer do you prefer to use for your studies? Desktop ______ Laptop ______ Tablet/ notebook/ netbook ______
13. How many text messages do you send in a typical week? ______
14. How much wealth (income, savings, investment, real estate, and other assets) would you have to accumulate (in millions of dollars) before you would say you are rich? ______

Based on your study of the survey and the results provided, answer the following:

1. Which variables in the survey are categorical?
2. Which variables in the survey are numerical?
3. Which variables are discrete numerical variables?