POPULATION VERSUS SAMPLE

POPULATION SAMPLE
 A population is a set of all  A sample is a set drawn from a
possible outcomes of a random population (is a subset of a
experiment population)
 Measure of a population is called  Measure of a sample is called a
a parameter statistic

MEASURES
POPULATION SAMPLE
Measures of location
 Mean Population mean (𝜇) Sample mean (𝑥̅ )
 Median Population median Sample median

 Mode Population mode Sample mode

Measures of spread or variability
 Range Population range Sample range
 Standard deviation Population standard Sample standard deviation
deviation (𝜎) (𝑆)

TYPES OF VARIABLES
QUALITATIVE (CATEGORICAL) QUANTITATIVE (NUMERICAL)
Discrete Continuous
(countable) (measurable)
Example Example Example
Variable Categories Variable Numerical Variable Numerical
value value
Gender Male, female Number of Size of
coins in 10 exam 32𝑚2
your pocket hall
Educational Matric, degree Number of
qualification diploma students in 25 Your 62 𝑘𝑔
STA 1510 weight
class
LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT
Nominal is a sub-classification of categorical data, where categories are of equal
importance or equal weight. If numbers are used to label categories, they have no
numerical meaning.
Example. Gender: Male = 1 and Female = 2.
Assigning or coding male as 1 does not mean a male is more important than a
female, it is just for coding purposes.
Ordinal is also a sub-classification of categorical data but differs to nominal
measurement in that there is an implied ranking between the categories.
Example. Educational qualifications: matric certificate, diploma, degree.
The weights are different, a diploma has more weight than a matric certificate and
a degree has more weight than a diploma and a matric certificate.
Interval is a sub-classification of numerical data. Unit of measurement exist but
no absolute zero.

Ratio. Absolute zero present and multiples have meaning.