AP Statistics Flashcards: Skills Focus: Selecting an Appropriate Inference Procedure
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
To determine if there's a difference in policy support between a random sample of 200 Democrats and 200 Republicans, what inference procedure is most appropriate?
A two-sample z-test for a difference in population proportions (p1 - p2) should be used, as you are comparing categorical data from two independent groups.
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To determine if there's a difference in policy support between a random sample of 200 Democrats and 200 Republicans, what inference procedure is most appropriate?
A two-sample z-test for a difference in population proportions (p1 - p2) should be used, as you are comparing categorical data from two independent groups.
What primary characteristic of your data determines whether you should use an inference procedure for proportions or for means?
The choice depends on whether the data is categorical (for proportions) or quantitative (for means).
What inference procedure is used to test for a linear relationship between two quantitative variables?
A t-test for the slope of a regression line is used to determine if there is a significant linear relationship between an explanatory variable (x) and a response variable (y).
What is the key difference in study design that leads to choosing a paired t-test over a two-sample t-test?
A paired t-test is used when the data consists of two measurements on the same subjects or matched pairs, while a two-sample t-test is used for two independent groups.
Under what specific condition is a z-test for a population mean used instead of a t-test?
A z-test for a population mean is only appropriate when the population standard deviation (σ) is known, which is a rare circumstance in practice.
What is the purpose of a Chi-Square Test for Goodness of Fit?
This test is used to determine if the observed distribution of a single categorical variable from one sample differs from a hypothesized or expected distribution.
What is the key distinction in the sampling method that helps you decide between a Chi-Square Test for Homogeneity and a Chi-Square Test for Independence?
A test for homogeneity compares a categorical variable across two or more independent populations (multiple samples), while a test for independence examines the relationship between two categorical variables within a single population (one sample).
What is the primary difference in purpose between constructing a confidence interval and performing a significance test?
A confidence interval is used to estimate a population parameter, while a significance test is used to assess the evidence for a claim about a population parameter.
A car manufacturer claims a specific distribution of car colors sold. To test this claim against a random sample of 200 sales, what procedure should be used?
A Chi-Square Test for Goodness of Fit is appropriate because you are comparing the observed counts of a single categorical variable (color) from one sample to a claimed distribution.
A researcher wants to test if the average height of male students at a university is greater than 70 inches using a sample of 50 students. Which inference procedure should be used?
A one-sample t-test for a population mean (μ) is appropriate because the data is quantitative (height), involves a single sample, and the population standard deviation is unknown.