Question

The instructor of a large-enrollment (200 students) international relations (IR) course would like to obtain a random sample of 100 of his students. The sampled students will play StateArt, a month-long game designed to simulate diplomatic, military, and trade relations among countries. The unsampled students will not play the game. The instructor plans to give players and nonplayers an end-of-semester quiz to see whether StateArt players obtained a better grasp of IR events and concepts. To select the sample, the instructor posts the following appeal on the course website: “Sign up for StateArt, an exciting new way to learn IR! Signing bonus: 5 extra-credit points immediately added to last week’s midterm exam! Note: Familiarity with computer simulations helpful...but not required.” The instructor accepts recruits until 100 have signed up, at which point he closes the link. Of the 100 students who began the game, 75 complete the month-long simulation.

A. The instructor’s sample selection process suffers from selection bias. Describe three ways in which the sampled students will be systematically different from the unsampled students

Answer 1

A. The three ways in which the sampled students will be systematically different from the unsampled students are

1. Students who access the website first are likely to sign up first hence the sampled students will be systematically different from the unsampled students.

2. Students who have low credit points are more likely to sign up first because this will give them 5 extra points hence the sampled students will be systematically different from the unsampled students.

3. Students who are familiar with computer simulations might sign up therefore the sampled students will be systematically different from the unsampled students.

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