Answer 1:

The informal meaning of statistics in the media often refers to numerical data or figures presented in a
news article or report to support a claim, provide context, or illustrate a trend. These statistics are
usually used to make information more tangible and relatable to the audience. Here's an example:

Imagine you come across a news article discussing the impact of a new public health initiative aimed at
reducing smoking rates in a particular city. The article may include statistics such as:

"Since the implementation of the anti-smoking campaign six months ago, cigarette sales have decreased
by 25% in the city, according to recent data."

In this example, the statistic (25% decrease in cigarette sales) is used informally to convey the
effectiveness of the anti-smoking campaign. It adds a quantitative dimension to the story, making it
more compelling and providing readers with a measurable outcome of the initiative. The statistic serves
to support the broader narrative about the positive impact of the public health intervention.

Answer 2:

An interval variable is a type of quantitative variable that has a consistent unit of measurement but lacks
a true zero point. In psychology, a common example is temperature measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
While temperature has a consistent unit of measurement (degrees), it lacks a true zero point (absolute
absence of temperature). For instance, 0°C doesn't signify the complete absence of temperature; it's
just a point on the Celsius scale. This absence of a true zero point classifies temperature as an interval
variable in the context of psychology.

Answer 3:

No, the example I provided, which is temperature measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit, is not a ratio
variable. A ratio variable, in addition to having a consistent unit of measurement and a true zero point,
allows for meaningful ratios between values. Temperature lacks a true zero point (absolute absence of
temperature), so ratios like "twice as hot" or "half as hot" are not meaningful. Therefore, temperature is
an interval variable rather than a ratio variable.

Answer 4:

a)

X Frequency
1 1
2 1
3 0
4 1
5 1
6 1
7 2
8 2
9 1
 b)

Chart Title
2.5

2 2
2

1.5
Frequency

1 1 1 1 1 1
1

0.5

0
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Rating Scale

c) Unimodal skewed to the left.

d) For mean: mean=( ∑ of x )/n

X Frequency fx
1 1 1
2 1 2
3 0 0
4 1 4
5 1 5
6 1 6
7 2 14
8 2 16
9 1 9

Mean = 57/10 = 5.70

n+1 10+1
Median = = = 5.5th value = 6.50
2 2
Mode = 7 and 8 most repeated value
e):

X X^2
1 1
2 4
4 16
5 25
6 36
7 49
7 49
8 64
8 84
9 81
Total = 57 Total = 389

Variance = 1/(10-1)[389 – (57)^2/10]

= 7.12

Standard deviation = √ 7.1 = 2.67

Answer 5:

a) The formula for calculating the z-score is:

x−µ
z=
σ
where:

(x) is the raw score (in this case, the student's rating of enjoyment of statistics, which is 7),

(µ) is the mean of the population (average rating among college students, which is 5),
¿ ) is the standard deviation of the population (average spread around the mean, which is 1.5).

Now plug in the values:

7−5
z=
1.5
z = 1.33

b) Conceptually interpreting the z-score: A z-score of 1.33 indicates that the student's enjoyment of
statistics is 1.33 standard deviations above the average college student.
c) Substantively interpreting the z-score: This means that the student has a relatively higher level of
enjoyment compared to the average college student.

d) To find the percent of college students who enjoy statistics more, we can use a standard normal
distribution table or calculator to find the area to the right of the z-score. For z = 1.33, this corresponds
to approximately 90.65% .

e) To find the percent of college students who enjoy statistics less, subtract the percentage found in part
(d) from 100%. So, 100% - 90.65% is approximately 9.35%.

f) To convert the z-score back to a raw score, use the formula:

x=µ+ ( Z∗σ )
X = 5 + (1.33 *1.5)

X = 5 + 1.995

X = 6.995

So, the converted raw score is approximately 7.0.