Interpreting Statistics Worksheet

Testing of 20 randomly selected subjects yielded two sets of scores: Verbal IQ and Reading
Comprehension. The table below displays the results and descriptive statistics, as well as frequency
distribution charts for each variable and a scatterplot of the correlations between the two variables:
Subject Verbal IQ Rdg. Comp.
1 90 88
2 99 97
3 101 110
4 115 121
5 97 98
6 98 95
7 92 89
8 104 109
9 103 100
10 117 100
11 100 96
12 98 101
13 96 105
14 105 105
15 78 80
16 121 99
17 82 75
18 85 89
19 81 78
20 82 86
MEAN 97 96
MEDIAN 98 97
MODE 98 89
STD.DEV
. 11.8 11.2
RANGE 43 46
CORREL VERB x RDG 0.79
 Reading Comprehension Frequency
Distribution
10
5 Frequency

0
70 80 90 100 110 120 More
STD SCORE

Verbal IQ Frequency Distribution

8
6
Frequency

4 Frequency
2
0
70 80 90 100 110 120 More
STD SCORE

120
110
Reading Scores

100
90
80
70
75 85 95 105 115 125
Verbal IQ Score

Please answer the following questions within the appropriate column in the table below:

I. Using the provided data and graphs, describe the
frequency distribution for the IQ test:
a) What is a typical score for this sample?
b) How variable are the scores?
c) How are the scores distributed?
The subjects typically had a Verbal IQ test score
of M = 97.00 (SD = 11.80). For this sample of 20
subjects, the variability of the verbal IQ scores
was 43.00. Finally, the scores have almost the
same shape on either side of the histogram.
Therefore, the IQ test scores describe a

II. Using the provided data and graphs, describe the
frequency distribution of the reading test scores:
a) What is a typical score for this sample?
b) How variable are the scores?
c) How are the scores distributed?
III. Consider the correlation data given the
provided data and graph:
a) How are IQ and reading achievement
related?
IV. Evaluate the data from a psychological testing
perspective:
a) Are these samples good representations of
the general population? How do you know?
b) What could you do to make them a more
representative sample?
c) How would you interpret the correlation
results?
d) What are some ways this knowledge of
their relationship could be used?
symmetric distribution since the mean (M =
97.00) and the median (Mdn = 98.00) are very
close together.
The subjects typically had a Reading test score
of M = 96.00 (SD = 11.20). For this sample of 20
subjects, the variability of the reading test
scores was 46.00. Finally, the most of the
scores in the reading test are on the right with
a few scores showing up to the left of the
histogram. Therefore, the reading test scores
describe a left-skewed distribution since the
mean (M = 96.00) is less than the median (Mdn
= 97.00) and mode (89.00).
Analysis showed that for the 20 subjects
surveyed, there was a strong positive linear
relationship between Verbal IQ test scores and
Reading test scores (r = 0.79). As Verbal IQ test
scores increased, the Reading test scores
increased as well. There were no significant
outliers identified.
It is not possible to determine if the samples
are representative of the general population.
This is because inferential statistics is needed
to determine if a sample is representative of
the entire population. Therefore, statistical
tests such as one-sample chi-square tests
should be conducted to help determine how
well a sample represents the whole population
being studied.
A correlation analysis was conducted to
determine the relationship between Verbal IQ
test scores and Reading test scores. The results
showed that there was a strong positive linear
relationship between Verbal IQ test scores and
Reading test scores (r = 0.79). When this
coefficient of correlation is squared, we get the
coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.62 or 62%).
This shows that 62% of the variation in the
Verbal IQ test scores is associated with the
variation in the Reading test scores.
Finally, these results show that if Verbal IQ test
scores increase so do Reading test scores.
Therefore, instructors and other education
stakeholders should focus on building students’
verbal skills and as a result, their reading skills
will improve as well.