Introduction to statistics

LEC. 1 Outline
• An overview of Statistics.
• Distinguish between:
- (Population & Sample),
- (Parameter & Statistic),
- (Descriptive Statistics & Inferential Statistics).
• Reasons to sample & Sampling Techniques
• Types of Variables
• Levels of measurements.
 Data sets
• Population: The entire set of individuals or objects of interest or the
measurement obtained from all individual or objects of interests.
(Frequently the population is very large and sometimes infinite. E.g. All
computer users, all American citizens)
• Sample: “A portion or part” of the population of
interest.(sample of 400 American citizens)
 Some Key Statistical Concepts
• In studying a population, we focus on one or
more characteristics or properties of the units
in the population.
• We call such characteristics variables.
(Variable: Measurements of a single
characteristic of all elements in the sample or
population).

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 Some Key Statistical Concepts (Cont’d)
• A Parameter is a descriptive measure of a population.
• A Statistic is a descriptive measure of a sample (a number that
describes a sample).
• Populations have parameters “and” samples have statistics

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 Branches of Statistics

Presenting data in a convenient and

informative way by:
Take data from samples and make
- Using Tables, Graphical &
generalizations about a population.
Numerical techniques to present
The most common methodologies
data in ways that make it easy for
in inferential statistics are: hypothesis
the reader to extract useful
tests, confidence intervals, and regression
information & summarize data.
analysis.
A survey to collect data on the entire population.

Sampling Techniques
An Observation
(Case): Observed
(measured) values
of a variable(s) for a
single element

Experimental or
observational
unit is an object
(e.g., person,
thing, or event)
about which we
collect data.
Sampling
 Methods for selecting Sample
1. Simple random 2. Systematic
sampling sampling
every member of the It requires the selection of a
population has an equal starting point for the sample and
chance of being sample size that can be repeated
selected. at regular intervals.
For example, a researcher
intends to collect a systematic
sample of 500 people in a
population of 5000. He/she
numbers each element of the
population from 1-5000 and
will choose every 10th
individual to be a part of the
sample (Total population/
Sample Size = 5000/500 = 10).
3. Stratified 4. Cluster sampling
sampling
Divide the population Cluster sampling also
into subgroups (called involves dividing the
strata) based on the population into
relevant characteristic. subgroups, but each
subgroup should have
similar characteristics to
the whole sample. Instead
of sampling individuals
from each subgroup, you
randomly select entire
Subgroups
A Data Set: A collection of observations on a set of variables

Levels of measurement
 Types of Variables

1. Quantitative :
Quantitative variable represents numerical characteristics, such as
balance in your account, number of children in a family and the
age of company presidents.
Quantitative variables are either;
a) Discrete variables, or b) Continuous variables.

can only assume certain values, and can assume any value within a specific
there are gaps between the values. range.
Examples: number of bedrooms in a Examples include the air pressure in a
house and number of students in each tire and the monthly income.
section.

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 Types of Variables

2. Qualitative Variables:
represents nonnumeric characteristic.
For example, gender, eye color.
Qualitative data could be
Nominal data that have no natural ordering such as
gender, or
Ordinal data that have natural ordering such as students
grades.

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Nominal
• The values of nominal data are
categories.
.E.g.responses to questions about
marital status, coded as:
Single = 1,
Married = 2, Divorced = 3,
Widowed = 4
These data are categorical in
nature; arithmetic operations don’t
make any sense (e.g. does
Widowed ÷ 2 = Married?!)
These data are have no natural
ordering
Nominal data are also called
qualitative or categorical.
You can categorize and rank your
data in an order, but you cannot
say anything about the intervals
between the rankings.
• No calculations are allowed for
nominal data
Ex:
City of birth
Gender
Types of variables
Ordinal Interval Ratio
Ordinal Data appear to be categorical in The interval level of measurement The fourth and highest
nature, but their values have an order; a deals with data that can be level of
ranking to them: ordered, and in which differences Measurement
between the data does make
E.g. College course rating sense.
system: Data at the interval level can be
poor = 1, fair = 2, good = 3, very good = 4, used in calculations.
excellent = 5
• Real numbers, i.e. heights,
While its still not meaningful to do arithmetic weights, prices, etc.
on this data (e.g. does 2*fair = very good?!), • Also referred
we can say things like: to as quantitative or numerical.
excellent > poor or fair < very good
That is, order is maintained no matter what
numeric values are assigned to each category
You can categorize and rank your data in an You can categorize, rank, and You
order, infer equal intervals between can categorize, rank,
neighboring data points, but there and infer equal
is no true zero point. intervals between
The difference between any two neighboring data points,
adjacent temperatures is the same: and there is a true
one degree. But zero degrees is zero point.
defined differently depending on
the scale – it doesn’t mean an
absolute absence of temperature.
• Only calculations involving a ranking process All calculations are
are allowed for ordinal data. permitted
Top 5 Olympic medallists Test scores (e.g., IQ or exams) Ex:
Language ability (e.g., beginner, intermediate, Personality inventories Height
fluent) Temperature in Fahrenheit or Age
 Assignment
Please specify according to the Four Levels of measurements:

Levels of Put data in Arrange Subtract Determine if

measurements categories data in data values one data
order value is
multiple of
another

Nominal
Ordinal
Interval
Ratio
Assignment