ESS 104-3 Quantitative Reasoning (QR)

Sandya Nilmini Kumari

Course Objective:
To develop quantitative skills and problem solving skills in
order to foster the critical thinking essential to the world of
today & tomorrow.

Course Content:
• Introduction to Quantitative Reasoning
• Organization and description of data
• Introduction of Statistical Surveys
• Data Collection Methods
• Sampling Techniques
• Designing of Questionnaires
• Presentation of data
• Summary Measures
• Basic Probability and its Applications
• Introduction of Correlation Analysis
Scheme of Evaluation:
Continuous Assessments: 60%
Assignments ( 10% )
Spot tests ( 10% )
Computer lab practical ( 15% )
Case study & Presentation ( 25% )
Final Examination: 40%

Methodology:
2 hours Lecture and 2 hours Practical per week.

Recommended Text Books:

1. R. R. Johnson, P. Kuby, Elementary Statistics, 10th edition
(Thomson), 2007
2. A.G. Bluman , Elementary Statistics, 6th edition (McGraw
Hill), 2007
 Introduction
The quantitative reasoning (QR) can be defined as "the
application of logic to problems and the ability to understand
the real world meaning of numbers, basic language of
Statistics and Mathematical statements.
Process
Input Output

QR Problems
1. A market analyst wants to know the effectiveness of a new diet.
2. How fuel efficient a certain car model is?
3. Is there any relationship between your GPA and employment
opportunities?
4. If you answer all questions on a (T,F) (or multiple choice)
examination completely randomly, what are your chances of
passing?
QR can be extended as;
set of methods and rules for collection, organizing &
summarizing, presenting, analyzing and interpreting numerical
data for the purpose of assisting in making a more effective
decision.

According to above extend, the area of QR incorporates

the following five elements.
1. Proper collection of data
2. Organization and Classification of Data
3. Presentation of Data
4. Analysis of data
5. Interpretation of Data
 Limitation of QR
1. It does not deal with individual value.
2. QR or Statistical conclusions are not universally true(100%).
3. Statistics can be misused.

Scope of QR
• Government Agriculture
• Business & Economy Medical field
• Insurance
• Physical, Natural and Social Sciences
• Manufacturing Process
 Definition of Statistics
Statistics is a science of making decisions under
uncertainly and variability.

Type of statistics

Descriptive Inference
Statistics Statistics
 Population

Sample

Make conclusion based on

Sample information extent
sample is Descriptive
into whole population is called Statistics
Inference Statistics
Population
A population is the totality of all subjects possessing
certain common characteristics that are being studied.
Sample
A sample is in sub group or subset of the population

Descriptive Statistics
Make a decision base on sample information

Inferential Statistics
This consists of generalizing from sample to population by performing
hypothesis testing, determine relationships among variables and
making predictions.
 Important Features
Variable
A variable is a characteristic or attribute that can assign
different values.

Random Variables
Variable whose values are determined by a chance.

Data
The measurements or observation (values) for a variable.

Collection of data forms a data set

 Variables

Qualitative Variables Quantitative Variables

A variable that expresses Variables that are
a qualitative attribute or measured in terms of
quality; numbers.
values do not have a
numerical meaning and Ordinal, interval and ratio
cannot be ordered scales are quantitative.
numerically;
also called categorical
variable
They are measured on a nominal scale
 Level of Measurements
1. Nominal Scale
• No ordering is implied, and addition/ subtraction and
multiplication/division would be inappropriate for a
variable on a nominal scale.
• {Female, Male} and {Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim}
have no natural ordering (except alphabetic).
• Occasionally, numeric values are nominal: for instance, if a
variable was coded as Female=1, Male=2, the set {1,2} is
still nominal.
• The number gives us the identity of the category assigned.
2. Ordinal Scale

• An ordinal scale is a set of ordered values. However, there

is no equal distance between scale values.
• For instance, for the scale: (Very Poor, Poor, Average,
Good, Very Good) is an ordinal scale.
• You can assign numerical values to an ordinal scale: rating
performance such as 1 for "Very Poor," 2 for "Poor," etc,
• But there is no assurance that the difference between a
score of 1 and 2 means the same thing as the difference
between a score of 4 and 3.
 3. Interval Scale
• Interval scales are ordered and equal intervals equal
intervals on the underlying characteristic.
• However, interval scales do not have a true zero point.
• Interval scales are numerical scales in which intervals have
the same interpretation throughout.
Ex: Consider the Fahrenheit scale of temperature.
The difference between 30 degrees and 40 degrees
represents the same temperature difference as the
difference between 80 degrees and 90 degrees.
This is because each 10 degree interval has the same physical
meaning
4. Ratio Scale

• A ratio scale is a numerical scale with a true zero point

and in which a given size interval has the same
interpretation for the entire scale.
• With ratio scales, it is sensible to talk about one value
being twice as large as another.

Example: Weight is a ratio scale

Therefore it is meaningful to say that a 200 kg person
weighs twice as much as a 100 kg person.
State the Correct Scale of Measurement
1. Smoking status (yes, no)
2. Baby birth weight (g)
3. GDP value
4. Birth date
5. Weight gain
6. Grade of meat
 Variables

Discrete Variables Continuous Variables

This can be assigned It can assume all values

values, that can be between any two specific
countable values.
They are obtained by
measuring.
No Qualitative/ Scale of Discrete/
Quantitative Measureme Continuous
nt
No of
Television
Sets
No of family
Members
Television set
old
Price of the
Television set
Name of the
Store
State whether following statements are True or False
1. The abstract number properties that apply to
ordinal scales are identity and magnitude.
2. Interval scales are exactly like ratio scales,
except that they have a true zero point.
3. The nominal scale of measurement classifies
objects into mutually exclusive categories
4. The abstract number properties that apply to
interval scale of measurement include
identity, magnitude, equal interval, and
summation.
 State the Correct Scale of Measurement
5. Your local police force wants to install cameras that can
"catch" drivers who run red lights. They choose a busy
intersection, install a test camera, and determine
whether each car stops safely or "runs" the light

6. Your counseling center uses a standardized interest

inventory as part of its career-counseling program. The
test yields t scores on 20 different interest areas. The
population mean for each area is 50, and the standard
deviation is 10.
7. School administrators sponsor a study of bullying
on elementary school playgrounds. Trained
observers record the number of incidents of
aggression that occur during consecutive 10-
minute periods. Aggression is measured on which
of the scales of measurement?

8. Every 10 years, the government sponsors a

national survey of health and health practices.
One question in the survey asks participants to
rate their overall health using a 5-point rating
scale. What is the scale of measurement used for
this question?
9. A researcher wants to determine whether the
circadian temperature cycle is less stable for older
compared to middle age adults. Body temperature
in degrees Fahrenheit is measured every 15
minutes over a period of 3 days. What is the scale
of measurement used for this question?

10.Children in elementary school are evaluated and

classified as nonreaders (0), beginning readers(1),
grade-level readers(2) and advanced readers(3).
The classification is done in order to place them in
reading grouping. What is the suitable scale of
measure?