Day 1

MATH 313: Survey Design and Sampling

Bastola

Something about me

  • First year at Salisbury
  • Originally from Nepal
  • Research in Statistical Computation and Applied Statistics
  • Avid learner and traveler


My website

My website

Active Participation

  • Engage Actively
    • Take lecture notes
    • Follow class handouts
  • Ask Questions
    • Every question is valuable; we’re learning together
  • Gain Conceptual Understanding
    • To be able to apply the knowledge; understanding the concepts is key

Tell me something about yourself!


  • Your name?
  • Gender Pronouns?
  • Favorite Summer Memory?

via GIPHY

Class Pipelines


  • Most of the course information and schedule will be posted in MyClasses
  • Homework will be posted but not collected
  • Labs most Tuesdays; lab reports due in a week from the lab date
  • Quizzes every Friday; includes HW, lectures, labs

What will a typical day/week look like?

  • Before class:
    • Read assigned topics from textbook
    • Work on homework/lab reports, come with questions
  • During class:
    • Mini lectures
    • Class activities

Welcome to Survey Sampling


  • What is Survey Sampling?
    • Essential statistical method for collecting representative data.
    • Key tool in business, health sciences, environmental studies, and more.

Why Study Survey Sampling?


  • Data-Driven Decision Making
    • Informed decisions require accurate data.
    • Sampling helps gather this data efficiently and effectively.

Basic Principles of Survey Sampling


  • Random Sampling
    • Each member of a population has an equal chance of selection.
    • Ensures unbiased data representation.
  • Systematic Approach
    • Methodical selection process to avoid sampling bias.

Introduction to Survey Biases


Discover how the phrasing of survey questions can influence the responses, potentially leading to biased outcomes.

  • Objective: Understand the impact of wording in survey questions.
  • Focus: Compare biased vs. neutral phrasing.

Case Study on Welfare Spending

  • Biased Question: “Do you think the government spends too much money on welfare without adequate proof of its necessity?”
    • This question suggests unnecessary spending, leading to potentially biased negative responses.
  • Neutral Question: “How should the government allocate funds for welfare?”
    • Rephrased to remove bias, showing a significant drop in negative responses (only 29% suggest reducing spending).

Health Care for the Elderly

  • Original Biased Question: “Do you agree that it is disgraceful for the government to ignore the health care needs of the elderly?”
    • Emotive language (“disgraceful”) can manipulate responses.
  • Neutral Reformulation: “How do you rate the government’s handling of health care needs for the elderly?”
    • More objective, allowing respondents to express true opinions without emotional influence.

The Importance of Neutral Question Phrasing

Highlighting the critical need for neutrality in survey questions to obtain accurate and reliable data.

  • Key Takeaway: Survey questions should be carefully crafted to avoid leading respondents.
  • Goal: Achieve unbiased data that truly reflects public opinion.

 Group Activity 1


  • Let’s do a small activity today about simple random sampling
  • And answer a few survey questions about the class in general

10:00