PUP 3002 FSU - Midterm 2 Exam Questions and Answers Graded A+
Casual Inference - Answers drawing a conclusion about casual relationships between various
inputs and policy outputs and outcomes
Repetition Effect - Answers any change in a subject's performance due to repeating the
experimental condition
Fundamental Problem of Casual Interference - Answers we are never able to know how a
subject would have behaved in the counterfactual because they did not, in fact, receive the
treatment
Treatment Group - Answers consists of subjects who would drive the course while texting
Control Group - Answers consists of subjects who would drive the course without texting
Confounding Variable - Answers a set of variables that are correlated with both our treatment
and our potential outcome
Spurious Relationship - Answers when a relationship between two variables appears to exist,
due to the confounding presence of a third variable
Internal Validity - Answers the likelihood or level of confidence that a casual inference drawn
from an analysis reflects the "true" underlying casual relationship
External Validity - Answers whether the findings from a study based upon a sample or an
experiment can be extended or generalized to a larger population
Descriptive statistics - Answers help describe both the average response and dispersion of
opinion around the average for a given population of stakeholders or clientele
Correlation - Answers tells us whether and how strongly two variables tend to co-vary
Scientific uncertainty - Answers process of estimating a precise expression of uncertainty in
some claim that derives primarily from three sources o =f error; measurement error, random
error, and sampling error
Random Error - Answers the stochastic or random probability that some events are simply not
perfectly predictable
Population - Answers entire set of individuals or cases with which an analyst is interested in
examining or learning about
Sample - Answers subset of the population
Parameters - Answers characteristics of the population
Hypothesis Testing - Answers process in which scientists attempt to determine whether
, sufficient evidence for the research hypothesis has been presented to reject the null hypothesis
Observational Studies - Answers compare the differences in Y between populations that have X
and those that do not have X
Ill-Informed Skepticism - Answers disbelief or distrust in a scientific claim that is based less
upon rigorous evaluations of competing arguments and evidence and more upon political
orientation or vested interest
Statistics - Answers what is the measured value of 'X' using our sample population
Type I Error (false positive) - Answers When one rejects a true null hypothesis, then we say that
an analyst has committed a particular type of a hypothesis testing error
Type II Error (false negative) - Answers When one accepts a false null hypothesis, then we say
that an analyst has committed a particular type of a hypothesis testing error
Policy-Oriented Learning - Answers when we observe coalitions members revising their beliefs
in the presence of new information
Counterfactual Outcome - Answers how the experimental group would have performed with a
specific variable.
Ill informed adherence - Answers the adoption of of or belief in a claim is based less upon
rigorous evaluations of competing arguments and evidence and more upon political orientation
or vested interest.
Factual Outcome - Answers how the experimental group actually performed under the given
variables.
Selection effect - Answers occurs when there is a non random selection of the experimental and
control groups and can lead to inaccurate data.
Minimum conditions (for drawing valid causal inferences) - Answers To estimate a valid causal
inference with the classic experiment we must ensure that all other variables that are correlated
with both our treatment and our outcome are randomly distributed across the groups.
Central Tendency - Answers the most probable outcome.
Variations - Answers a change or difference in condition, amount, or level, typically with some
limits.
Dispersion - Answers the state of being dispersed over a certain area.
Biased - Answers having a premeditated preference of something regardless of the alternatives.
Economic Growth - Answers an economy that is growing either from an increase in social
Casual Inference - Answers drawing a conclusion about casual relationships between various
inputs and policy outputs and outcomes
Repetition Effect - Answers any change in a subject's performance due to repeating the
experimental condition
Fundamental Problem of Casual Interference - Answers we are never able to know how a
subject would have behaved in the counterfactual because they did not, in fact, receive the
treatment
Treatment Group - Answers consists of subjects who would drive the course while texting
Control Group - Answers consists of subjects who would drive the course without texting
Confounding Variable - Answers a set of variables that are correlated with both our treatment
and our potential outcome
Spurious Relationship - Answers when a relationship between two variables appears to exist,
due to the confounding presence of a third variable
Internal Validity - Answers the likelihood or level of confidence that a casual inference drawn
from an analysis reflects the "true" underlying casual relationship
External Validity - Answers whether the findings from a study based upon a sample or an
experiment can be extended or generalized to a larger population
Descriptive statistics - Answers help describe both the average response and dispersion of
opinion around the average for a given population of stakeholders or clientele
Correlation - Answers tells us whether and how strongly two variables tend to co-vary
Scientific uncertainty - Answers process of estimating a precise expression of uncertainty in
some claim that derives primarily from three sources o =f error; measurement error, random
error, and sampling error
Random Error - Answers the stochastic or random probability that some events are simply not
perfectly predictable
Population - Answers entire set of individuals or cases with which an analyst is interested in
examining or learning about
Sample - Answers subset of the population
Parameters - Answers characteristics of the population
Hypothesis Testing - Answers process in which scientists attempt to determine whether
, sufficient evidence for the research hypothesis has been presented to reject the null hypothesis
Observational Studies - Answers compare the differences in Y between populations that have X
and those that do not have X
Ill-Informed Skepticism - Answers disbelief or distrust in a scientific claim that is based less
upon rigorous evaluations of competing arguments and evidence and more upon political
orientation or vested interest
Statistics - Answers what is the measured value of 'X' using our sample population
Type I Error (false positive) - Answers When one rejects a true null hypothesis, then we say that
an analyst has committed a particular type of a hypothesis testing error
Type II Error (false negative) - Answers When one accepts a false null hypothesis, then we say
that an analyst has committed a particular type of a hypothesis testing error
Policy-Oriented Learning - Answers when we observe coalitions members revising their beliefs
in the presence of new information
Counterfactual Outcome - Answers how the experimental group would have performed with a
specific variable.
Ill informed adherence - Answers the adoption of of or belief in a claim is based less upon
rigorous evaluations of competing arguments and evidence and more upon political orientation
or vested interest.
Factual Outcome - Answers how the experimental group actually performed under the given
variables.
Selection effect - Answers occurs when there is a non random selection of the experimental and
control groups and can lead to inaccurate data.
Minimum conditions (for drawing valid causal inferences) - Answers To estimate a valid causal
inference with the classic experiment we must ensure that all other variables that are correlated
with both our treatment and our outcome are randomly distributed across the groups.
Central Tendency - Answers the most probable outcome.
Variations - Answers a change or difference in condition, amount, or level, typically with some
limits.
Dispersion - Answers the state of being dispersed over a certain area.
Biased - Answers having a premeditated preference of something regardless of the alternatives.
Economic Growth - Answers an economy that is growing either from an increase in social
