IT22601-DS-UNIT-II III CSE

UNIT II DESCRIBING DATA

Types of Data - Types of Variables -Describing Data with Tables and
Graphs –Describing Data with Averages - Describing Variability - Normal
Distributions and Standard (z) Scores

TYPES OF DATA
 Any statistical analysis is performed on data, a collection of actual
observations or scores in a survey or an experiment.
Data
 A collection of actual observations or scores in a survey or an experiment.
Qualitative Data
 A set of observations where any single observation is a word, letter, or
numerical code that represents a class or category.
Example:

Fig.1 Examples of Qualitative data

Ranked Data
 A set of observations where any single observation is a number that
indicates relative standing.

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Fig 2. Examples of ranked data

Quantitative Data
 A set of observations where any single observation is a number that
represents an amount or a count.

Fig 3. Examples of Quantitative data

LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT
 Levels of measurement, also called scales of measurement, which tells
how precisely variables are recorded. In scientific research, a
variable is
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anything that can take on different values across your data set (e.g., height or
test scores).
 There are 4 levels of measurement:
 Nominal: the data can only be categorized
 Ordinal: the data can be categorized and ranked
 Interval: the data can be categorized, ranked, and evenly spaced
 Ratio: the data can be categorized, ranked, evenly spaced, and has a
natural zero.

1. Qualitative Data and Nominal Measurement

 If people are classified as either male or female (or coded as 1 or 2), the
data are qualitative and measurement is nominal.
 The single property of nominal measurement is classification—that is,
sorting observations into different classes or categories.
 Nominal Measurement is, Words, letters, or numerical codes of qualitative
data that reflect differences in kind based on classification.
Examples of nominal measurement
 Gender
 Political preferences
 Place of residence
What is your Gender? What is your Political preference? Where do you live?

 1- Independent  1- Suburbs
 M- Male
 2- Democrat  2- City
 F- Female
 3- Republican  3- Town

2. Ranked Data and Ordinal Measurement

 When any single number indicates only relative standing, such as first,
second, or tenth place in a horse race or in a class of graduating
seniors, the data are ranked and the level of measurement is ordinal.
 The distinctive property of ordinal measurement is order.
 A first-place finish reflects the fastest finish in a horse race or the
highest GPA among graduating seniors.
 Ordinal Measurement is Relative standing of ranked data that reflects
differences in degree based on order.

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Example
 Status at workplace, tournament team rankings, order of product quality,
and order of agreement or satisfaction are some of the most common
examples of the ordinal Scale. These scales are generally used in market
research to gather and evaluate relative feedback about product
satisfaction, changing perceptions with product upgrades, etc.
 For example, a semantic differential scale question such
as: How satisfied are you with our services?
 Very Unsatisfied – 1
 Unsatisfied – 2
 Neutral – 3
 Satisfied – 4
 Very Satisfied – 5

 This scale not only assigns values to the variables but also measures the
rank or order of the variables, such as:
 Grades
 Satisfaction
 Happiness

3. Quantitative Data and Interval/Ratio Measurement

Interval

 The interval level is a numerical level of measurement which, like

the ordinal scale, places variables in order. Unlike the ordinal scale,
however, the interval scale has a known and equal distance
between each value on the scale (imagine the points on a
thermometer).

 Unlike the ratio scale, interval data has no true zero; in other
words, a value of zero on an interval scale does not mean the
variable is absent. This is best explained using temperature as an
example. A temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit doesn’t mean
there is “no temperature” to be measured—rather, it signifies a
very low or cold temperature.

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Ratio
 The fourth and final level of measurement is the ratio level. Just like the
interval scale, the ratio scale is a quantitative level of measurement with
equal intervals between each point. What sets the ratio scale apart is that
it has a true zero. That is, a value of zero on a ratio scale means that the
variable you’re measuring is absent.
 Population is a good example of ratio data. If you have a population
count of zero people, this means there are no people!

 So what are the implications of a “true zero?” As the name suggests,

having a true zero allows you to calculate ratios of your values. For
example, if you have a population of fifty people, you can say that this is
half the size of a country with a population of one hundred.

Nominal level Examples of nominal scales

You can categorize your data by  City of birth

labelling them in mutually exclusive  Gender
groups, but there is no order  Ethnicity
between the categories.  Car brands
 Marital status
Ordinal level Examples of ordinal scales

 Top 5 Olympic medallists

You can categorize and rank your data  Language ability (e.g.,
in an order, but you cannot say beginner, intermediate,
anything about the intervals fluent)
between the rankings.  Likert-type questions (e.g.,
Although you can rank the top 5 very dissatisfied to very
Olympic medallists, this scale does satisfied)
not tell you how close or far apart
they are in number of wins.
Interval level Examples of interval scales

You can categorize, rank, and infer  Test scores (e.g., IQ

equal intervals between neighboring or exams)
data points, but there is no true zero  Personality inventories
point.  Temperature in Fahrenheit
or Celsius

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The difference between any two

adjacent temperatures is the same:
one degree. But zero degrees is
defined differently depending on the
scale – it doesn’t mean an absolute
absence of temperature.

The same is true for test scores and

personality inventories. A zero on a
test is arbitrary; it does not mean
that the test-taker has an absolute
lack of the trait being measured.

Ratio level Examples of ratio scales

You can categorize, rank, and infer  Height

equal intervals between neighboring  Age
data points, and there is a true zero  Weight
point.  Temperature in Kelvin

A true zero means there is an

absence of the variable of interest.
In ratio scales, zero does mean an
absolute lack of the variable.

For example, in the Kelvin

temperature scale, there are no
negative degrees of temperature –
zero means an absolute lack of
thermal energy.

Table : Comparison between four levels of measurement

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Fig 4: Overview: types of data and levels of measurement.

TYPES OF VARIABLES
Variable
 A characteristic or property that can take on different values.
Example
 'income' is a variable that can vary between data units in a population (i.e.
the people or businesses being studied may not have the same incomes)
and can also vary over time for each data unit (i.e. income can go up or
down).
Constant
 A characteristic or property that can take on only one value.
Example
 The size of a shoe or cloth or any apparel will not change at any point.

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Discrete Variable
 Discrete variable is a variable whose value is obtained by counting.
 Examples include most counts, such as the number of children in a family
(1, 2,3, etc.); the number of foreign countries you have visited; and the
current size of the U.S. population.
Continuous Variable
 A continuous variable is defined as a variable which can take an
uncountable set of values or infinite set of values.
 The height can’t take any values. It can’t be negative and it can’t be
higher than three metres. But between 0 and 3, the number of possible
values is theoretically infinite. A student may be 1.6321748755 … metres
tall. The reported height would be rounded to the nearest centimetre, so it
would be
1.63 metres. The age is another example of a continuous variable that is
typically rounded down.
Approximate Numbers
 Numbers that are rounded off, as is always the case with values for
continuous variables.
Experiment
 A study in which the investigator decides who receives the special treatment.
Independent Variable
 In an experiment, an independent variable is a treatment manipulated by
the investigator.
Dependent Variable
 A variable that is believed to have been influenced by the independent
variable.
Example
 If one wants to measure the influence of different quantities of nutrient
intake on the growth of an infant, then the amount of nutrient intake can
be the independent variable, with the dependent variable as the growth of
an infant measured by height, weight or other factor(s) as per the
requirements of the experiment.

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 If one wants to estimate the cost of living of an individual, then the

factors such as salary, age, marital status, etc. are independent variables,
while the cost of living of a person is highly dependent on such factors.
Therefore, they are designated as the dependent variable.
Observational Study
 A study that focuses on detecting relationships between variables not
manipulated by the investigator.
Confounding variable
 An uncontrolled variable compromises the interpretation of a study.

Describing Data with Tables and Graphs

TABLES (FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS)
FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS FOR QUANTITATIVE DATA
 A frequency distribution is a collection of observations produced by
sorting observations into classes and showing their frequency (f ) of
occurrence in each class.
 When observations are sorted into classes of single values, as in Table
2.1, the result is referred to as a frequency distribution for ungrouped
data.

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Table 2.1 Frequency Distribution (Ungrouped Data)

Frequency Distribution for Grouped Data
 A frequency distribution is produced whenever observations are
sorted into classes of more than one value.
 Data are grouped into class intervals with 10 possible values each. The
bottom class includes the smallest observation (133), and the top class
includes the largest observation (245).
 The distance between the bottom and top is occupied by an orderly series
of classes. The frequency (f) column shows the frequency of observations
in each class and, at the bottom, the total number of observations in all
classes.

Fig 2.2 Frequency Distribution (Grouped Data)

GUIDELINES FOR FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS
The first three rules are essential and should not be violated. The last four rules are
optional and can be modified or ignored as circumstances warrant.
Essential
1. Each observation should be included in one, and only one, class.
Example: 130–139, 140–149, 150–159, etc. It would be incorrect to use 130– 140,
140–150, 150–160, etc., in which, because the boundaries of classes overlap, an
observation of 140 (or 150) could be assigned to either of two classes.

2. List all classes, even those with zero frequencies.

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Example: Listed in Table 2.2 is the class 210–219 and its frequency of zero. It
would be incorrect to skip this class because of its zero frequency.
3. All classes should have equal intervals.
Example: 130–139, 140–149, 150–159, etc. It would be incorrect to use 130– 139,
140–159, etc., in which the second class interval (140–159) is twice as wide as
the first class interval (130–139).
Optional
4. All classes should have both an upper boundary and a lower boundary.
Example: 240–249. Less preferred would be 240–above, in which no maximum
value can be assigned to observations in this class.
5. Select the class interval from convenient numbers, such as 1, 2, 3, . . . 10,
particularly 5 and 10 or multiples of 5 and 10.
Example: 130–139, 140–149, in which the class interval of 10 is a convenient
number. Less preferred would be 130–142, 143–155, etc., in which the class
interval of 13 is not a convenient number.
6. The lower boundary of each class interval should be a multiple of the class
interval.
Example: 130–139, 140–149, in which the lower boundaries of 130, and 140, are
multiples of 10, the class interval. Less preferred would be 135–144, 145–154,
etc., in which the lower boundaries of 135 and 145 are not multiples of 10, the
class interval.
7. Aim for a total of approximately 10 classes.
Example: The distribution in Table 2.2 uses 12 classes. Less preferred would be
the distributions in Tables 2.3 and 2.4. The distribution in Table 2.3 has too few
classes (3), whereas the distribution in Table 2.4 has too many classes (24).

Table 2.3 Frequency Distribution with too Few Intervals

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Table 2.4 Frequency Distribution with too Many Intervals

Constructing Frequency Distributions
The step-by-step procedure for the construction of frequency distribution is as
follows:

Table 2.5 Quantitative data: weights (in pounds) of male Statistics students

1. Find the range, that is, the difference between the largest and
smallest observations. The range of weights in Table 2.5 is 245 133
= 112.2.
2. Find the class interval required to span the range by dividing the
range by the desired number of classes (ordinarily 10). In the
present example,

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3. Round off to the nearest convenient interval (such as 1, 2, 3, . . .10,

particularly 5 or 10 or multiples of 5 or 10). In the present example,
the nearest convenient interval is 10.

4. Determine where the lowest class should begin. In the present

example, the smallest score is 133, and therefore the lowest class
should begin at 130, since 130 is a multiple of 10 (the class
interval).

5. Determine where the lowest class should end by adding the class
interval to the lower boundary and then subtracting one unit of
measurement. In the present example, add 10 to 130 and then
subtract 1, the unit of measurement, to obtain 139—the number at
which the lowest class should end.

6. Working upward, list as many equivalent classes as are required to

include the largest observation. In the present example, list 130–
139, 140–149, . . . , 240–249, so that the last class includes 245, the
largest score.

7. Indicate with a tally the class in which each observation falls. For
example, the first score in Table 2.5, 160, produces a tally next to
160–169; the next score, 193, produces a tally next to 190–199;
and so on.

8. Replace the tally count for each class with a number—the

frequency (f )—and show the total of all frequencies.

9. Supply headings for both columns and a title for the table.

OUTLIERS

 Outlier is a very extreme score.

Might Exclude from Summaries
 You might choose to segregate an outlier from any summary of the data.
 For example, you might relegate it to a footnote instead of using
excessively wide class intervals in order to include it in a frequency
distribution. Or you might use various numerical summaries, such as the

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median and interquartile range, that ignore extreme scores, including

outliers.
Might Enhance Understanding
 Insofar as a valid outlier can be viewed as the product of special
circumstances, it might help you to understand the data.
 For example, you might understand better why crime rates differ among
communities by studying the special circumstances that produce a
community with an extremely low (or high) crime rate, or why learning
rates differ among third graders by studying a third grader who learns
very rapidly (or very slowly).

RELATIVE FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS

 Relative frequency distributions show the frequency of each class as a
part or fraction of the total frequency for the entire distribution.

Constructing Relative Frequency Distributions

 To convert a frequency distribution into a relative frequency distribution,
divide the frequency for each class by the total frequency for the entire
distribution.
 Table 2.6 illustrates a relative frequency distribution based on the weight
distribution of Table 2.2.

Table 2.6 Relative Frequency Distribution

Percentages or Proportions
 Some people prefer to deal with percentages rather than proportions
because percentages usually lack decimal points. A proportion always
varies between 0 and 1, whereas a percentage always varies between 0
percent and 100 percent.
 To convert the relative frequencies in Table 2.6 from proportions to
percentages, multiply each proportion by 100; that is, move the decimal

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point two places to the right. For example, multiply .06 (the proportion for
the class 130–139) by 100 to obtain 6 percent.

CUMULATIVE FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS

 Cumulative frequency distributions show the total number of
observations in each class and in all lower-ranked classes.
Constructing Cumulative Frequency Distributions
 To convert a frequency distribution into a cumulative frequency
distribution, add to the frequency of each class the sum of the frequencies
of all classes ranked below it. This gives the cumulative frequency for
that class.
 Begin with the lowest-ranked class in the frequency distribution and work
upward, finding the cumulative frequencies in ascending order. In Table
2.7, the cumulative frequency for the class 130–139 is 3, since there are
no classes ranked lower.
 The cumulative frequency for the class 140–149 is 4, since 1 is the
frequency for that class and 3 is the frequency of all lower-ranked classes.
 The cumulative frequency for the class 150–159 is 21, since 17 is the
frequency for that class and 4 is the sum of the frequencies of all lower-
ranked classes.

Table 2.7 Cumulative Frequency Distribution

Cumulative Percentages
 To obtain this cumulative percentage (75%), the cumulative frequency of
40 for the class 170–179 should be divided by the total frequency of 53
for the entire distribution.
Percentile Ranks
 The percentile rank of a score indicates the percentage of scores in the
entire distribution with similar or smaller values than that score.

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FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS FOR QUALITATIVE (NOMINAL)

DATA
 When, among a set of observations, any single observation is a word,
letter, or numerical code, the data are qualitative.
 Frequency distributions for qualitative data are easy to construct. Simply
determine the frequency with which observations occupy each class, and
report these frequencies as shown in Table 2.8 for the Facebook profile
survey.
 This frequency distribution reveals that Yes replies are approximately
twice as prevalent as No replies.

Table 2.8 Facebook Profile Survey

GRAPHS
 Data can be described clearly and concisely with the aid of a well-
constructed frequency distribution.
 Data can often be described even more vividly, particularly when
communicating with a general audience, by converting frequency
distributions into graphs.
 Some of the most common types of graphs for quantitative and
qualitative data are as follows.
Histograms
 A bar-type graph for quantitative data. The common boundaries between
adjacent bars emphasize the continuity of the data, as with continuous
variables.
 The weight distribution described in Table 2.2 appears as a histogram in
Figure 2.5.

Features of histograms
 Equal units along the horizontal axis (the X axis, or abscissa) reflect the
various class intervals of the frequency distribution.
 Equal units along the vertical axis (the Y axis, or ordinate) reflect
increases in frequency.
 The intersection of the two axes defines the origin at which both
numerical scales equal 0.
 Numerical scales always increase from left to right along the horizontal
axis and from bottom to top along the vertical axis. It is considered good
practice to use wiggly lines to highlight breaks in scale, such as those
along the horizontal axis in Figure 2.5, between the origin of 0 and the
smallest class of 130–139.

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 The body of the histogram consists of a series of bars whose heights

reflect the frequencies for the various classes. The adjacent bars in
histograms have common boundaries that emphasize the continuity of
quantitative data for continuous variables.

Fig 2.5 Histogram

Frequency Polygon
 An important variation on a histogram is the frequency polygon or
line graph.
 Frequency polygons may be constructed directly from frequency
distributions. However, we will follow the step-by-step transformation of
a histogram into a frequency polygon, as described in panels A, B, C, and
D of Figure 2.6.

A. This panel shows the histogram for the weight distribution.

B. Place dots at the midpoints of each bar top or, in the absence of bar tops,
at midpoints for classes on the horizontal axis, and connect them with
straight lines.
[To find the midpoint of any class, such as 160–169, simply add the two
tabled boundaries (160 + 169 = 329) and divide this sum by 2 (329/2 = 164.5).]
C. Anchor the frequency polygon to the horizontal axis. First, extend the
upper tail to the midpoint of the first unoccupied class (250–259) on the
upper flank of the histogram. Then extend the lower tail to the midpoint
of the first unoccupied class (120–129) on the lower flank of the
histogram. Now all of the area under the frequency polygon is enclosed
completely.
D. Finally, erase all of the histogram bars, leaving only the frequency
polygon.

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 Frequency polygons are particularly useful when two or more frequency

distributions or relative frequency distributions are to be included in the
same graph.

Fig 2.6 Transition from histogram to frequency polygon.

Stem and Leaf Displays

 Another technique for summarizing quantitative data is a stem and leaf
display.

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 Stem and leaf displays are ideal for summarizing distributions, such as
that for weight data, without destroying the identities of individual
observations.
 A device for sorting quantitative data on the basis of leading and trailing
digits.
Constructing a Display
 The leftmost panel of Fig.2.7, shows the weights of the 53 male statistics
students.
 To construct the stem and leaf display for these data, first note that, when
counting by tens, the weights range from the 130s to the 240s. Arrange a
column of numbers, the stems, beginning with 13 (representing the 130s)
and ending with 24 (representing the 240s). Draw a vertical line to
separate the stems, which represent multiples of 10, from the space to be
occupied by the leaves, which represent multiples of 1.

Fig 2.7 Constructing stem and leaf display from weights of male Statistics students

 Next, enter each raw score into the stem and leaf display.
 In the shaded coding in Fig 2.7, the first raw score of 160 reappears as a
leaf of 0 on a stem of 16. The next raw score of 193 reappears as a leaf of
3 on a stem of 19, and the third raw score of 226 reappears as a leaf of 6
on a stem of 22, and so on, until each raw score reappears as a leaf on its
appropriate stem.
Interpretation
 The weight data have been sorted by the stems. All weights in the 130s
are listed together; all of those in the 140s are listed together, and so on.

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TYPICAL SHAPES
 Whether expressed as a histogram, a frequency polygon, or a stem and
leaf display, an important characteristic of a frequency distribution is its
shape.
 Figure 2.8 shows some of the more typical shapes for smoothed
frequency polygons.

Fig 2.8 Typical shapes

Normal
 The familiar bell-shaped silhouette of the normal curve can be
superimposed on many frequency distributions, including those for scores
on standardized tests, and even the popping times of individual kernels in
a batch of popcorn.

Bimodal
 Any distribution that approximates the bimodal shape reflects the
coexistence of two different types of observations in the same
distribution. For instance, the distribution of the ages of residents in a
neighborhood consisting largely of either new parents or their infants has
a bimodal shape.
 The Bimodal shape of the histogram is shown in fig.2.9.

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Fig 2.9 Bimodal shape of the histogram

Positively Skewed
 The two remaining shapes in Figure 2.8 are lopsided. A lopsided
distribution caused by a few extreme observations in the positive
direction (to the right of the majority of observations),is a positively
skewed distribution.
 The distribution of incomes among U.S. families has a pronounced
positive skew, with most family incomes under $200,000 and relatively
few family incomes spanning a wide range of values above $200,000.
The distribution of weights in Figure 2.1 also is positively skewed.

Negatively Skewed
 A lopsided distribution caused by a few extreme observations in the
negative direction (to the left of the majority of observations), as in panel
D of Figure 2.8, is a negatively skewed distribution. T
 The distribution of ages at retirement among U.S. job holders has a
pronounced negative skew, with most retirement ages at 60 years or older
and relatively few retirement ages spanning the wide range of ages
younger than 60.

A GRAPH FOR QUALITATIVE (NOMINAL) DATA

 The distribution in Table 2.8, based on replies to the question “Do you have
a Facebook profile?” appears as a bar graph in Figure 2.10.
 A glance at this graph confirms that Yes replies occur approximately twice
as often as No replies.
 As with histograms, equal segments along the horizontal axis are allocated to
the different words or classes that appear in the frequency distribution for
qualitative data.
 Likewise, equal segments along the vertical axis reflect increases in
frequency.
 The body of the bar graph consists of a series of bars whose heights reflect
the frequencies for the various words or classes.
 A person’s answer to the question “Do you have a Facebook profile?” is
either Yes or No, not some impossible intermediate value, such as 40 percent
Yes and 60 percent No.

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 Gaps are placed between adjacent bars of bar graphs to emphasize the
discontinuous nature of qualitative data.
 A bar graph also can be used with quantitative data to emphasize the
discontinuous nature of a discrete variable, such as the number of children in
a family.

Fig.2.10 Bar graph

MISLEADING GRAPHS
 Graphs can be constructed in an unscrupulous manner to support a
particular point of view.
 The Distorted bar graph is shown in fig. 2.11.
 The width of the Yes bar is more than three times that of the No bar, thus
violating the custom that bars be equal in width.
 The lower end of the frequency scale is omitted, thus violating the custom
that the entire scale be reproduced, beginning with zero.
 The height of the vertical axis is several times the width of the horizontal
axis, thus violating the custom, that the vertical axis is approximately as
tall as the horizontal axis is wide.
 Beware of graphs in which, because the vertical axis is many times larger
than the horizontal axis (as in Figure 2.11), frequency differences are
exaggerated, or in which, because the vertical axis is many times smaller
than the horizontal axis, frequency differences are suppressed.

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Fig.2.11 Distorted bar graph.

CONSTRUCTING GRAPHS

1. Decide on the appropriate type of graph, recalling that

histograms and frequency polygons are appropriate for quantitative
data, while bar graphs are appropriate for qualitative data and also
are sometimes used with discrete quantitative data.

2. Draw the horizontal axis, then the vertical axis, remembering

that the vertical axis should be about as tall as the horizontal axis is
wide.

3. Identify the string of class intervals that eventually will be

superimposed on the horizontal axis. For qualitative data or
ungrouped quantitative data, this is easy—just use the classes
suggested by the data. For grouped quantitative data, proceed as if
you were creating a set of class intervals for frequency distribution.

4. Superimpose the string of class along the entire length of the

horizontal axis. Do not use a string of empty class intervals to bridge a
sizable gap between the origin of 0 and the smallest class interval.
Instead, use wiggly lines to signal a break in scale, then begin with the
smallest class interval. Also, do not clutter the horizontal scale with
excessive numbers—use just a few convenient numbers.

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5. Along the entire length of the vertical axis, superimpose a

progression of convenient numbers, beginning at the bottom with 0 and
ending at the top with a number as large as or slightly larger than the
maximum observed frequency. If there is a considerable gap between the
origin of 0 and the smallest observed frequency, use wiggly lines to
signal a break in scale.

6. Using the scaled axes, construct bars (or dots and lines) to reflect the
frequency of observations within each class interval. For frequency
polygons, dots should be located above the midpoints of class intervals,
and both tails of the graph should be anchored to the horizontal axis.

7. Supply labels for both axes and a title for the graph.

NORMAL DISTRIBUTIONS AND STANDARD (Z) SCORES

THE NORMAL CURVE

 A theoretical curve noted for its symmetrical bell-shaped form.
 In Figure 2.12, the idealized normal curve has been superimposed on the
original distribution for 3091 men.
 Any generalizations based on the smooth normal curve will tend to be
more accurate than those based on the original distribution.

Fig 2.12 Relative frequency distribution for heights of 3091 men.

Properties of the Normal Curve
 Obtained from a mathematical equation, the normal curve is a theoretical
curve defined for a continuous variable and noted for its symmetrical
bell- shaped form.
 Because the normal curve is symmetrical, its lower half is the mirror
image of its upper half.

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 Being bell shaped, the normal curve peaks above a point midway along
the horizontal spread and then tapers off gradually in either direction
from the peak.
 The values of the mean, median (or 50th percentile), and mode, located at
a point midway along the horizontal spread, are the same for the normal
curve.
Importance of Mean and Standard Deviation
 When using the normal curve, two bits of information are
indispensable: values for the mean and the standard deviation.
 For example, for the original distribution of 3091 men, the mean height
equals 69 inches and the standard deviation equals 3 inches.

Different Normal Curves

 The normal curve has a mean of 69 inches and a standard deviation of 3
inches.
 We can’t arbitrarily change these values, as any change in the value of
either the mean or the standard deviation (or both) would create a new
normal curve that no longer describes the original distribution of heights.
The various types of normal curves are produced by an arbitrary change
in the value of either the mean (μ) or the standard deviation (σ).
 For example, changing the mean height from 69 to 79 inches produces a
new normal curve that, as shown in panel A of Figure 2.13, is displaced
10 inches to the right of the original curve. Dramatically new normal
curves are produced by changing the value of the standard deviation.
 As shown in panel B of Figure 2.14, changing the standard deviation from
3 to 1.5 inches produces a more peaked normal curve with smaller
variability, whereas changing the standard deviation from 3 to 6 inches
produces a shallower normal curve with greater variability.

Fig. 2.14 Different normal curves.

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z SCORES
 A z score is a unit-free, standardized score that, regardless of the original
units of measurement, indicates how many standard deviations a score is
above or below the mean of its distribution.
 To obtain a z score, express any original score, whether measured in
inches, milliseconds, dollars, IQ points, etc., as a deviation from its mean
(by subtracting its mean) and then split this deviation into standard
deviation units (by dividing by its standard deviation), that is,

Where, X is the original score

μ is the mean and
σ is the standard deviation

A z score consists of two parts:

1. a positive or negative sign indicating whether it’s above or below the

mean; and
2. a number indicating the size of its deviation from the mean in standard
deviation units.

 A z score of 2.00 always signifies that the original score is exactly two
standard deviations above its mean.
 Similarly, a z score of –1.27 signifies that the original score is exactly
1.27 standard deviations below its mean. A z score of 0 signifies that the
original score coincides with the mean.

Converting to z Scores
 Replace X with 66 (the maximum permissible height), μ with 69 (the
mean height), and σ with 3 (the standard deviation of heights) and solve
for z as follows:

 This informs that the cutoff height is exactly one standard deviation
below the mean.

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STANDARD NORMAL CURVE

 The tabled normal curve for z scores, with a mean of 0 and a standard
deviation of 1.
 To verify that the mean of a standard normal distribution equals 0,
replace X in the z score formula with μ, the mean of any normal
distribution, and then solve for z:

 To verify that the standard deviation of the standard normal distribution

equals 1, replace X in the z score formula with μ + 1σ, the value
corresponding to one standard deviation above the mean for any normal
distribution, and then solve for z:

 Although there is an infinite number of different normal curves, each

with its own mean and standard deviation, there is only one standard
normal curve, with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1.
 Figure 2.15 illustrates the emergence of the standard normal curve from
three different normal curves:
 that for the men’s heights, with a mean of 69 inches and a standard
deviation of 3 inches;
 that for the useful lives of 100-watt electric light bulbs, with a
mean of 1200 hours and a standard deviation of 120 hours; and
 that for the IQ scores of fourth graders, with a mean of 105 points
and a standard deviation of 15 points.

Fig.2.15 Converting three normal curves to the standard normal curve.

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Standard Normal Table

The standard normal table consists of columns of z scores coordinated with
columns of proportions. In a typical problem, access to the table is gained
through a z score, such as –1.00, and the answer is read as a proportion.

SOLVING NORMAL CURVE PROBLEMS

 In the first type of problem, we use a known score (or scores) to find an
unknown proportion.
 In the second type of problem, the procedure is reversed. Now we use a
known proportion to find an unknown score (or scores).

FINDING PROPORTIONS
Finding Proportions for One Score
1. Sketch a normal curve and shade in the target area.
2. Plan your solution according to the normal table.
3. Convert X to z.

4. Find the target area.

FINDING SCORES
 This is the opposite type of normal curve problem for which the Normal
Table must be consulted to find the unknown score or scores associated
with some known proportion.
Finding One
Score Example

Exam scores for a large psychology class approximate a normal curve with a
mean of 230 and a standard deviation of 50. Furthermore, students are graded
“on a curve,” with only the upper 20 percent being awarded grades of A. What
is the lowest score on the exam that receives an A?

Solution
1. Sketch a normal curve and, on the correct side of the mean, draw a
line representing the target score, as in Figure 2.16. It’s often helpful to
visualize the target score as splitting the total area into two sectors—one
to the left of (below) the target score and one to the right of (above) the
target score. For example, in the present case, the target score is the point
along the base of the curve that splits the total area into 80 percent,
or .8000 to the left, and 20 percent, or .2000 to the right. The mean of a
normal curve serves as a valuable frame of reference since it always splits
the total area into two equal halves—.5000 to the left of the mean and
.5000 to the right of the mean. Since more than .5000—that is, .8000—of
the total area is to
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the left of the target score, this score must be on the upper or right side of the
mean. On the other hand, if less than .5000 of the total area had been to
the left of the target score, this score would have been placed on the
lower or left side of the mean.

Fig 2.16 Finding Scores

2. Plan your solution according to the normal table. In problems of this type,
plan how to find the z score for the target score. Because the target score
is on the right side of the mean, concentrate on the area in the upper half
of the normal curve, as described in columns B and C. The right panel of
Figure 5.16 indicates that either column B or C can be used to locate a z
score in column A. It is crucial, however, to search for the single value
(.3000) that is valid for column B or the single value (.2000) that is valid
for column C. Note that we look in column B for .3000, not for .8000.
Normal Table is not designed for sectors, such as the lower .8000, that
span the mean of the normal curve.

3. Find z. Refer to Normal Table. Scan column C to find .2000. If this

value does not appear in column C, as typically will be the case,
approximate the desired value (and the correct score) by locating the
entry in column C nearest to .2000. If adjacent entries are equally close to
the target value, use either entry—it is your choice. As shown in the right
panel of Figure 2.16, the entry in column C closest to .2000 is .2005, and
the corresponding z score in column A equals 0.84. Verify this by
checking Normal Table. Also note that exactly the same z score of 0.84
would have been identified if column B had been searched to find the
entry (.2995) nearest to .3000. The z score of 0.84 represents the point
that separates the upper 20 percent of the area from the rest of the area
under the normal curve.
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4. Convert z to the target score. Finally, convert the z score of 0.84 into an
exam score, given a distribution with a mean of 230 and a standard
deviation of 50. A z score indicates how many standard deviations the
original score is above or below its mean. In the present case, the target
score must be located .84 of a standard deviation above its mean. The
distance of the target score above its mean equals 42 (from .84 × 50),
which, when added to the mean of 230, yields a value of 272. Therefore,
272 is the lowest score on the exam that receives an A.

 When converting z scores to original scores, you will probably find it

more efficient to use the following equation

where,
X is the target score, expressed in original units of measurement;
μ and σ are the mean and the standard deviation, respectively, for the
original normal curve; and
z is the standard score read from column A or A′ of Normal Table.
When appropriate numerical substitutions are made, as shown in the
bottom of Figure 2.16, 272 is found to be the answer.

Finding Two Scores

Example:
Assume that the annual rainfall in the San Francisco area approximates a
normal curve with a mean of 22 inches and a standard deviation of 4 inches. What
are the rainfalls for the more atypical years, defined as the driest 2.5 percent of
all years and the wettest 2.5 percent of all years?
Solution:

1. Sketch a normal curve. On either side of the mean, draw two lines
representing the two target scores, as in Figure 2.17. The smaller (driest) target
score splits the total area into .0250 to the left and .9750 to the right, and the
larger (wettest) target score does the exact opposite.

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Fig.2.17 Finding scores

3. Plan your solution according to the normal table. Because the smaller
target score is located on the lower or left side of the mean, we will
concentrate on the area in the lower half of the normal curve, as described
in columns B′ and C′. The target z score can be found by scanning either
column B′ for .4750 or column C′ for .0250. After finding the smaller
target score, we will capitalize on the symmetrical properties of normal
curves to find the value of the larger target score.
4. Find z. Referring to Normal Table, we can scan column B′ for .4750, or
the entry nearest to .4750. In this case, .4750 appears in column B′, and
the corresponding z score in column A′ equals –1.96. The same z score
of –
1.96 would have been obtained if column C′ had been searched for a value of
.0250.
5. Convert z to the target score. When the appropriate numbers are
substituted in Formula , the smaller target score equals
14.16 inches, the amount of annual rainfall that separates the driest 2.5
percent of all years from all of the other years.

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Standard Score
 Any unit-free scores expressed relative to a known mean and a known
standard deviation.

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Transformed Standard Score

 A standard score that, unlike a z score, usually lacks negative signs and
decimal points.

DESCRIBING DATA WITH AVERAGES

MODE
 The mode reflects the value of the most frequently occurring score.
Example
 Find the mode of the given data set: 3, 3, 6, 9, 15, 15, 15, 27, 27, 37, 48.

Solution: In the following list of numbers,

3, 3, 6, 9, 15, 15, 15, 27, 27, 37, 48

15 is the mode since it is appearing more number of times in the set

compared to other numbers.

More Than One Mode

 Distributions can have more than one mode. Distributions with two obvious
peaks, even though they are not exactly the same height, are referred to as
bimodal. Distributions with more than two peaks are referred to as
multimodal.

Example
 Find the mode of 4, 4, 4, 9, 15, 15, 15, 27, 37, 48 data set.

Solution:
 Given: 4, 4, 4, 9, 15, 15, 15, 27, 37, 48 is the data set.
 As we know, a data set or set of values can have more than one mode if
more than one value occurs with equal frequency and number of time
compared to the other values in the set.
 Hence, here both the number 4 and 15 are modes of the set.

MEDIAN
 The median reflects the middle value when observations are ordered from
least to most.
 To find the median:
1. Put the data in an array. (arrange in ascending or descending order)
2A. If the data set has an ODD number of numbers, the median is the middle
value.
2B. If the data set has an EVEN number of numbers, the median is the
AVERAGE of the middle two values.

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Example
 The number of rooms in the seven five stars hotel in Chennai city is 71,
30, 61, 59, 31, 40 and 29. Find the median number of rooms.
Solution:

Arrange the data in ascending order 29, 30, 31, 40, 59, 61, 71
n = 7 (odd)
Median = 7+1 / 2 = 4th positional value

Median = 40 rooms

MEAN
 The mean is found by adding all scores and then dividing by the number
of scores.

Population
 A complete set of scores.
Sample
 A subset of scores.
Sample Mean (x̅ )
 The balance point for a sample is found by dividing the sum of the values
of all scores in the sample by the number of scores in the sample.
Sample Size (n)
 The total number of scores in the sample.
Population Mean (μ)
 The balance point for a population, found by dividing the sum for all
scores in the population by the number of scores in the population.
Population Size (N)
 The total number of scores in the population.

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Example

A data set with 10 data points is given. Calculate Population Mean for that. Data
set : {14,61,83,92,2,8,48,25,71,12}.
Solution

 Population Mean is calculated using the formula given below.

 Population Mean = Sum of All the Items / Number of Items.
 Population Mean = (14+61+83+92+2+8+48+25+71+12) / 10
 Population Mean = 416 / 10
 Population Mean = 41.6

Example
Find the sample mean of 60, 57, 109, 50.

Solution:
To find: Sample mean
Sum of terms = 60 + 57 + 109 + 50 = 276
Number of terms = 4
Using sample mean formula,
mean = (sum of terms)/(number of terms) mean
= 276/4 = 69

Mean as Balance Point

 The mean serves as the balance point for its frequency distribution.
 The mean serves as the balance point for its distribution because of a
special property: The sum of all scores, expressed as positive and
negative deviations from the mean, always equals zero.
 The mean reflects the values of all scores, not just those that are middle
ranked (as with the median), or those that occur most frequently (as with
the mode).
WHICH AVERAGE?
If Distribution Is Not Skewed
 When a distribution of scores is not too skewed, the values of the mode,
median, and mean are similar, and any of them can be used to describe
the central tendency of the distribution.
 This tends to be the case in Figure 2.18, where the mode of 4 describes
the typical term; the median of 4.5 describes the middle-ranked term; and
the mean of 5.60 describes the balance point for terms.

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Fig. 2.18 Distribution of presidential terms.

If Distribution Is Skewed
 When extreme scores cause a distribution to be skewed, as for the infant
death rates for selected countries listed in Fig 2.19, the values of the three
averages can differ appreciably. The modal infant death rate of 4
describes the most typical rate. The median infant death rate of 7
describes the middle-ranked rate. Finally, the mean infant death rate of
30.00 describes the balance point for all rates.

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Fig.2.19 Infant Death Rates for selected Countries (2012)

Interpreting Differences between Mean and Median

 When a distribution is skewed, report both the mean and the median.
 Differences between the values of the mean and median signal the
presence of a skewed distribution.
 If the mean exceeds the median, as it does for the infant death rates, the
underlying distribution is positively skewed because of one or more
scores with relatively large values, such as the very high infant death
rates for a number of countries, especially Sierra Leone.
 If the median exceeds the mean, the underlying distribution is negatively
skewed because of one or more scores with relatively small values.
Figure
2.20 summarizes the relationship between the various averages and the two
types of skewed distributions.

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Fig.2.20 Mode, median, and mean in positively and negatively skewed

distributions
Special Status of the Mean
 As has been seen, the mean sometimes fails to describe the typical or
middle-ranked value of a distribution. Therefore, it should be used in
conjunction with another average, such as the median. However, the
mean is the single most preferred average for quantitative data.

AVERAGES FOR QUALITATIVE AND RANKED DATA

Mode Always Appropriate for Qualitative Data
 For quantitative data, all three averages can be used.
 The mode always can be used with qualitative data.
Median Sometimes Appropriate
 The median can be used whenever it is possible to order qualitative data
from least to most because the level of measurement is ordinal.
Averages for Ranked Data
 When the data consist of a series of ranks, with its ordinal level of
measurement, the median rank always can be obtained. It’s simply the
middlemost or average of the two middlemost ranks.

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DESCRIBING VARIABILITY
Importance of Variability
 Variability assumes a key role in the analysis of research results.
 To illustrate the importance of variability, Figure 2.21 shows the
outcomes for two fictitious experiments, each with the same mean
difference of 2, but with the two groups in experiment B having less
variability than the two groups in experiment C.
 In Figure 2.21, the new group B* retains exactly the same (intermediate)
variability as group B, each of its seven scores and its mean have been
shifted 2 units to the right. Likewise, although the new group C* retains
exactly the same (most) variability as group C, each of its seven scores
and its mean have been shifted 2 units to the right.
 Consequently, the mean difference of 2 (from 12 − 10 = 2) is the same for
both experiments.
 The mean difference for experiment B should seem more apparent
because of the smaller variabilities within both groups B and B*. It’s
easier to see a difference between group means when variabilities within
groups are reduced.

Fig.2.21 Two experiments with the same mean difference but dissimilar
variabilities.

Range
 The difference between the largest and smallest scores.

Example
 Following are the marks of students in Mathematics: 50, 53, 50, 51, 48, 93,
90, 92, 91, 90. Find the range of the marks.
Solution:
Arrange the following marks in ascending order, we get; 48,

50, 50, 51, 53, 90, 90, 91, 92, 93

Thus, the range of marks will be:

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Range = Maximum marks – Minimum marks

Range = 93 – 48 = 45

Thus, 45 is the required range.

VARIANCE
 The mean of all squared deviation scores.

Example
There are 45 students in a class. 5 students were randomly selected from
this class and their heights (in cm) were recorded as follows:

131 148 139 142 152

Solution

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Standard Deviation
 A rough measure of the average (or standard) amount by which scores
deviate on either side of their mean.

Steps for calculating the sample standard deviation:

1. Calculate the mean (simple average of the numbers).

2. For each number: subtract the mean. Square the result.
3. Add up all of the squared results.
4. Divide this sum by one less than the number of data points (N - 1).
This gives you the sample variance.
5. Take the square root of this value to obtain the sample standard
deviation.

Example
 You grow 20 crystals from a solution and measure the length of each
crystal in millimeters. Here is your data:

9, 2, 5, 4, 12, 7, 8, 11, 9, 3, 7, 4, 12, 5, 4, 10, 9, 6, 9, 4

Calculate the sample standard deviation of the length of the crystals.

Solution

1. Calculate the mean of the data. Add up all the numbers and divide by
the total number of data points.
(9+2+5+4+12+7+8+11+9+3+7+4+12+5+4+10+9+6+9+4)/20 = 140/20
=7
2. Subtract the mean from each data point (or the other way around, if
you prefer... you will be squaring this number, so it does not matter if
it is positive or negative).
(9 - 7)2 = (2)2 = 4
(2 - 7)2 = (-5)2 = 25
(5 - 7)2 = (-2)2 = 4

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(4 - 7)2 = (-3)2 = 9
(12 - 7)2 = (5)2 = 25
(7 - 7)2 = (0)2 = 0
(8 - 7)2 = (1)2 = 1
(11 - 7)2 = (4)2 = 16
(9 - 7)2 = (2)2 = 4
(3 - 7)2 = (-4)2 = 16
(7 - 7)2 = (0)2 = 0
(4 - 7)2 = (-3)2 = 9
(12 - 7)2 = (5)2 = 25
(5 - 7)2 = (-2)2 = 4
(4 - 7)2 = (-3)2 = 9
(10 - 7)2 = (3)2 = 9
(9 - 7)2 = (2)2 = 4
(6 - 7)2 = (-1)2 = 1
(9 - 7)2 = (2)2 = 4
(4 - 7)2 = (-3)2 = 9

3. Calculate the mean of the squared differences

(4+25+4+9+25+0+1+16+4+16+0+9+25+4+9+9+4+1+4+9) / 19 = 178/19
= 9.368
4. This value is the sample variance. The sample variance is 9.368
The population standard deviation is the square root of the
variance.(9.368)1/2 = 3.061.
The population standard deviation is 3.061
DETAILS: STANDARD DEVIATION
 As with the mean, statisticians distinguish between population and
sample for both the variance and the standard deviation, depending on
whether the data are viewed as a complete set (population) or as a subset
(sample).
 The value of the standard deviation can never be negative.
Sum of Squares (SS)
 The sum of squared deviation scores.

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Sum of Squares Formulas for Sample

 Sample notation can be substituted for population notation in the above
two formulas without causing any essential changes:

Two estimates of population variability

DEGREES OF FREEDOM (df)

 Degrees of freedom (df) refers to the number of values that are free to
vary, given one or more mathematical restrictions, in a sample being used
to estimate a population characteristic.
 We can use degrees of freedom to rewrite the formulas for the sample
variance and standard deviation:

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Interquartile Range (IQR)

 The range for the middle 50 percent of the scores.

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