STATISTICS

To be able to read and

Why
Should
We
Study
understand various statistical
Statistics?
studies performed in their
fieldsrequires a knowledge of
the vocabulary, symbols,
concepts, and statistical
procedures
To conduct research in their
fieldsrequires ability to
design experiments which
involves collection, analysis,
and summary of data
To become better consumers

Population
Basic Terminology

POPULATION:
Complete collection
of all elements or
units (usually
people, objects,
transactions, or
events) that we are
interested in
studying

In terms of data, a
population is the
collection of all
outcomes,
responses,
measurement, or
counts that are of
interest.

CENSUS: A
complete
enumeration (or
accounting) of the
population (i.e.
collecting data
from every element
(or unit) in the
population).

PARAMETER: A
numeric value
associated with a
population. (e.g. the average height
of ALL students in
this class, given
that the class has
been defined as a
population)

Sample

Terminology

Basic

SAMPLE: Taken

from a population a
sample is a subset
from which
information is
collected.

Example: 25 cans of corn

(sample) randomly
obtained from a full days
production (population)

STATISTIC: A

numeric value
associated with
a sample.

Example: the average

height of 10 individuals
randomly selected from
the class (defined
population).

some other
generalization about a
population based on
information contained in
a sample.

Example: Based upon a

randomly selected sample of 25
flights at JKF International Airport
(the sample; individual flights
are units) taken from all flights
on Dec. 24, 2009 (defined
population), we can state with a
degree of confidence the mean
delay for the population of the

Cluster Sample

Simple Random sampling

Stratified sampling

Systematic sample

In Summary
To include ALL
units, you are
looking at:
POPULATION
CENSUS
PARAMETERS
Parameter
Statistic

To work with a
subset of all units,
you are looking
at:
SAMPLE
STATISTICS
INFERENCES to a
population
Population
Sample

VARIABLES
AND NATURE
OF DATA

Language of Statistics
Variable: a
characteristic or
attribute that can
assume different
values
Variables whose
values are
determined by
chance are called
random variables

Data: values
(measurements
or observations)
that variables can
assume
Data is the
information
collected the
group of
information forms
a data set
Each value in the

Two kinds of variables

Qualitative Data can

be separated into
different categories
(values) that are
distinguished by some
nonnumeric
characteristic.
Qualitative data are also
referred to as
categorical or
attribute data.
\

Examples include gender,

eye color, and car brands
Note that the values of
this type of variable are
differentiated by words
rather than numeric
values. Example: Eye
Color values include blue,
brown, hazel, etc.

Quantitative
Data are numberbased and represent
counts or
measurements. This
type of data may be
subdivided into two
categories...

the number of possible values is

either a finite or a countably
infinite number.

Examples: Siblings, Cars, and Coins in

a jar (think of whole number counts
here; even if you cannot count them
all).

Continuous Data - result from

infinitely many possible values
corresponding to some continuous
scale that covers a range of values
without gaps, interruptions, or
jumps. Continuous data can
assume any value, including

5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0

Series 1
Series 2
Series 3

Discrete

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Series 3
Series 1

Continuous

Variable Classifications
Qualitative Variables
Can be placed into
distinct categories,
according to some
characteristic or
attribute (typically
non-numeric)
Examples:
Eye Color
Gender
Religious Preference
Yes/No

Quantitative
Variables

Numerical
Can be ordered or
ranked
Examples:
Heights
Weights
Pulse Rate
Age
Body Temperatures
Credit Hours

Measurement of Data

 Nominal

characterized by
data that consist of names,
labels, or categories only. The
data cannot be arranged in an
ordering scheme. Qualitative
data.
Examples: Gender, Yes/No, Political
Party affiliation, names of students.

Ordinal characterized by data

that can be arranged in some
order, but the differences
between data values either

 Interval like the ordinal

level, with the additional

property that the difference
between any two data values
is meaningful. However,
there is no natural zero
starting point. Quantitative
data.
Examples: Temperature (F or
C); longitude; Calendar Years.

Ratio is the interval level

Nominal
Examples:
Gender
Zip Codes
Political
Affiliation
Religion

Ordinal
Examples:
Letter
grades (A, B,
C, D, F)
Judging
contest (1st,
2nd , 3rd )
Ratings
(Above Avg,
Avg, Below

Interval
Examples:
Temperature
(0 does not
mean no heat
at all)
IQ Scores (0
does not imply
no intelligence)

Ratio

Examples:
Height
Weight
Area
Number of
phone calls
received
Salary