ASM 275 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
What do forensic anthropologists do? - ANS -scene search
-excavation and recovery of skeletal remains
-determine age, living stature, sex, and ancestry of skeletal remains.
-find cause or manner of death by assessing trauma vs. pathology (disease/natural causes).
-figure out time since death.
-aid in a legal investigation.
Levels of Measurement: Nominal - ANS Discrete and discontinuous data are classified
according to some qualitative measure but cannot be placed in a specific order. (i.e names,
labels, categories...sex, race/ethnicity, religion, colors, languages)
Levels of Measurement: Ordinal - ANS Data that can be ranked (i.e., put in order) but not
measured. The distance between categories is not also fixed and may vary quite a bit from one
point on the scale to another.
Distance between rankings are assumed to not be equal, which limits meaning, but solidifies
order - cannot get an accurate mean.
Levels of Measurement: Interval - ANS Continuous scale data that are ordered, quantified,
and with exact differences between the values. In other words, the interval between values is
known BUT there is no absolute zero for interval data that is non-arbitrary. (i.e. temperature, IQ
score)
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, Levels of Measurement: Ratio - ANS Data can be categorized, ranked, evenly spaced, and has
a natural zero. (i.e. weight gain of 4 pounds is twice as much as 2 pounds, weight gain of 0
pounds is meaningful)
Accuracy vs. Precision - ANS Accuracy: the degree to which a measurement conforms to the
correct (true) value.
Precision: the ability of a measurement to be consistently reproduced.
*Accuracy is independent of precision; you can be accurate but not precise and vice versa. Both
concepts can and should be quantified in some way.
Intra-observer error - ANS The precision of data recorded by the same observer.
Factors that increase intra-observer error - ANS -humidity at the time of observation, bones
shrink and swell depending on humidity.
-lighting conditions affect how well you see measurement landmarks.
-temperature, because temperature also causes a slight variation in bone size.
-observer's mood, data collection can be tedious, you get sloppy when tired.
-tool failure/calibration, cheap tools are not worth the risk.
Inter-observer error - ANS Error resulting from variation in the accuracy of data recorded by
different observers.
Factors that increase inter-observer error - ANS -observer experience, more experienced
researchers have lower levels of error.
-use of different measuring equipment that may be calibrated differently.
-use of different measurement definitions.
-training methods.
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THESTAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
ANSWERS
What do forensic anthropologists do? - ANS -scene search
-excavation and recovery of skeletal remains
-determine age, living stature, sex, and ancestry of skeletal remains.
-find cause or manner of death by assessing trauma vs. pathology (disease/natural causes).
-figure out time since death.
-aid in a legal investigation.
Levels of Measurement: Nominal - ANS Discrete and discontinuous data are classified
according to some qualitative measure but cannot be placed in a specific order. (i.e names,
labels, categories...sex, race/ethnicity, religion, colors, languages)
Levels of Measurement: Ordinal - ANS Data that can be ranked (i.e., put in order) but not
measured. The distance between categories is not also fixed and may vary quite a bit from one
point on the scale to another.
Distance between rankings are assumed to not be equal, which limits meaning, but solidifies
order - cannot get an accurate mean.
Levels of Measurement: Interval - ANS Continuous scale data that are ordered, quantified,
and with exact differences between the values. In other words, the interval between values is
known BUT there is no absolute zero for interval data that is non-arbitrary. (i.e. temperature, IQ
score)
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THESTAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, Levels of Measurement: Ratio - ANS Data can be categorized, ranked, evenly spaced, and has
a natural zero. (i.e. weight gain of 4 pounds is twice as much as 2 pounds, weight gain of 0
pounds is meaningful)
Accuracy vs. Precision - ANS Accuracy: the degree to which a measurement conforms to the
correct (true) value.
Precision: the ability of a measurement to be consistently reproduced.
*Accuracy is independent of precision; you can be accurate but not precise and vice versa. Both
concepts can and should be quantified in some way.
Intra-observer error - ANS The precision of data recorded by the same observer.
Factors that increase intra-observer error - ANS -humidity at the time of observation, bones
shrink and swell depending on humidity.
-lighting conditions affect how well you see measurement landmarks.
-temperature, because temperature also causes a slight variation in bone size.
-observer's mood, data collection can be tedious, you get sloppy when tired.
-tool failure/calibration, cheap tools are not worth the risk.
Inter-observer error - ANS Error resulting from variation in the accuracy of data recorded by
different observers.
Factors that increase inter-observer error - ANS -observer experience, more experienced
researchers have lower levels of error.
-use of different measuring equipment that may be calibrated differently.
-use of different measurement definitions.
-training methods.
COPYRIGHT © 2025 THESTAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
