Making Sense of It:

Understanding
Statistics for
Research

Jocelyn M. Erorita-dela Vega, RN. MAN, MAED, LPT

Learning Objectives:
1. Differentiate the 3 levels of
measurement;
2. Differentiate the 2 types of Inferential
Statistics Test;
3. Identify the different kinds of
statistical tool under each type of Test;
4. Identify the appropriate statistical
tools for specific type of data; and
5. Decide whether to reject or accept the
null hypothesis.
Levels of Measurement
- the mathematical nature of variables
(either discrete or continuous).
- Variables at the highest level of
measurement have numerical scores and
can be analyzed with broad range of
statistics
- Variables at the lowest level of
measurement have “scores” that are really
just labels and not numbers
3 Levels of Measurement
1. Nominal level of measurement
- Scores but not numerical (gender, zipcode,
race, religion, place of birth)
- Comparing relative sizes of categories
- Not mathematical scale,
- Can not be ranked with respect with each
other and can not be added, divided, or
manipulated.
3 Levels of Measurement
2. Ordinal level of measurement
- Have scores or categories that can be ranked
from high to low
- E.g., Socio economic Status
• (4) Upper class
• (3) Middle class
• (2) Working class
• (1) lower class
- Particular score represents only a position
with respect for some other score.
- Average or mean are not permitted
- Uses ranking
3 Levels of Measurement
3. Interval-Ratio level of measurement
- Actual numbers, scores
- Have equal intervals/distance from one score
to another

Interval scale have no true zero value (IQ tests,

life expectancy, years married, age)

Ratio scale have true absolute zero value

(length, width, weight, loudness)
 3 Levels of Measurement

Levels Examples Measurement Mathematical

Procedures Operations
Permitted
Nominal Sex, race, religion, Classification into Counting number
marital status categories in each category,
comparing sizes of
categories
Ordinal Social class, Classification into All of the foregoing
attitude, opinion categories plus plus judgment of
scales ranking of “greater or less
categories with than”
respect to each
other

Interval-Ratio Age, number of All of the foregoing All of the foregoing

children, income, plus description of plus all other
weight, length distance bet scores mathematical
in terms of equal operations
units
 The Two Major Functions of Statistics

Statistics

Descriptive
Inferential
(Describe (Test data)
data)

Measures of Non-
Measures of Parametric
Central Parametric
Variability Test
Tendency Test
2 Types of Inferential Statistics Test
1. Parametric Test
- Requires normal distribution (skewness if
equal to zero and kurtos is equal to 0.265
- Levels of measurement used are interval or
ratio

2. Non-Parametric Test
- Used when the distribution is not normal
Levels of measurement used are nominal or
ordinal
 2 Types of Inferential Statistics Test
NATURE OF TEST PARAMETRIC TEST NON-PARAMETRIC
(Interval-Ratio) TEST (Nominal and
Ordinal)
Difference
Two Independent  t-Test Independent  Chi-square Test of
groups  Z-Test two samples Homogeneity/GOF
 Wilcoxon Rank - Sum

Correlated/Dependent one  t-Test Dependent  Fishers sign Test

sample group (Before-After  Z-Test one sample  Mcnemar’s Test
Test)

3 or more Independent F-Test (ANOVA)  Chi-square Test of

groups Homogeneity
 Kruskall-Wallis Test
 2 Types of Inferential Statistics Test
NATURE OF TEST PARAMETRIC TEST NON-PARAMETRIC
TEST
Test of Relationship
One independent and one  Pearson Product Moment  Spearman Rank-Order
dependent variable Coefficients of Coefficient of
Correlation (Pearson’s R) Correlation
 Chi-Square Test of
Independence
Test of Association
One Dependent and one Simple Linear Regression  Kendall Coefficient of
independent variable Concordance
One dependent and 2 or Multiple Regression
more independent variables Analysis
IDENTIFYING APPROPRIATE
INFERENTIAL STATISTICAL TOOL
1. What is the Statement of the Problem?
“Is there a significant difference between the
performance of the male and the female nursing
students during the RD in Handwashing?”

2. What level of measurement is being tested?

Interval-Ratio (Performance in score,
grade, scale)

3. Based on Number 2 answer, DECIDE:

Parametric or Non-Parametric?
Parametric
“Is there a significant difference between the
performance of the male and the female nursing
students during the RD in Handwashing?”
4. What nature of test is the SOP aiming to
perform?
Test of Difference

5. Based on the SOP and the identified

nature of test in Step # 4, how many groups
will be compared?
Two groups – Male and Female

6. DECIDE: What is the appropriate

inferential tool that should answer the SOP?
Parametric, t-Test Independent
IDENTIFYING APPROPRIATE
INFERENTIAL STATISTICAL TOOL
1. What is the Statement of the Problem?
“Is there a significant difference on the effect of
the 5 solutions on mental alertness of mice?”

2. What level of measurement is being tested?

Interval-Ratio (time elapse to finish the
mice maze – in seconds)

3. Based on Number 2 answer, DECIDE:

Parametric or Non-Parametric?
Parametric
“Is there a significant difference on the effect of
the 5 solutions on mental alertness of mice?”
4. What nature of test is the SOP aiming to
perform?
Test of Difference

5. Based on the SOP and the identified

nature of test in Step # 4, how many groups
will be compared?
Five groups – 5 solutions (water, coffee,
apple juice, rice juice, combined apple-rice
juice)

6. DECIDE: What is the appropriate

inferential tool that should answer the SOP?
Parametric, ANOVA or F-Test (One way)
REMINDER: WHEN USING
ANOVA AND THE TEST RESULT
SHOWS A SIGNIFICANT
DIFFERENCE…

ALWAYS PERFORM A POST-

HOC TEST (E.g SCHEFFE’S
TEST) TO DETERMINE
WHERE THE DIFFERENCES
LIE.
IDENTIFYING APPROPRIATE
INFERENTIAL STATISTICAL TOOL
1. What is the Statement of the Problem?
“Is there a significant relationship between the
number of absences and the NCM grade of the
Level 4 Nursing Students?”

2. What level of measurement is being tested?

Interval-Ratio (number of absences and
grades)

3. Based on Number 2 answer, DECIDE:

Parametric or Non-Parametric?
Parametric
“Is there a significant relationship between the
number of absences and the NCM grade of the
Level 4 Nursing Students?”
4. What nature of test is the SOP aiming to
perform?
Test of Relationship

5. Based on the SOP and the identified

nature of test in Step # 4, how many groups
will be compared?
two groups – number of absences and
grades

6. DECIDE: What is the appropriate

inferential tool that should answer the SOP?
Parametric, Pearson’s R
REMINDER: WHEN USING
PEARSON’S R AND THE TEST
RESULT SHOWS A
SIGNIFICANT
RELATIONSHIP…
SIMPLE LINEAR
REGRESSION CAN BE
PERFORMED TO PREDICT THE
VALUE OF Y (DEPENDENT)
GIVEN THE VALUE OF X
(INDEPENDENT)
IDENTIFYING APPROPRIATE
INFERENTIAL STATISTICAL TOOL
1. What is the Statement of the Problem?
“Is there a significant relationship between the
sex and scores in RLE?”
expected data (male/female and high/low)

2. What level of measurement is being tested?

Nominal (male/female and high/low)

3. Based on Number 2 answer, DECIDE:

Parametric or Non-Parametric?
Non-Parametric
“Is there a significant relationship between the
sex and scores in RLE?”
expected data (male/female and high/low)
4. What nature of test is the SOP aiming to
perform?
Test of Relationship

5. Based on the SOP and the identified

nature of test in Step # 4, how many groups
will be compared?
two groups – sex and scores

6. DECIDE: What is the appropriate

inferential tool that should answer the SOP?
Non- Parametric, Chi-Square Test of
Independence
IDENTIFYING APPROPRIATE
INFERENTIAL STATISTICAL TOOL
1. What is the Statement of the Problem?
“Is the antibiotic effective?”
expected data (serum/no serum and
recovered/died)

2. What level of measurement is being tested?

Nominal (serum/no serum and
recovered/died)

3. Based on Number 2 answer, DECIDE:

Parametric or Non-Parametric?
Non-Parametric
 “Is the antibiotic effective?”
expected data (serum/no serum and
recovered/died)
4. What nature of test is the SOP aiming to
perform?
Test of Difference (with/without treatment
and recovered/died)

5. Based on the SOP and the identified

nature of test in Step # 4, how many groups
will be compared?
two groups – treatment and the effect

6. DECIDE: What is the appropriate

inferential tool that should answer the SOP?
Non- Parametric, Chi-Square Test of
Independence
 PRACTICE
Is there a significant difference between the
extent of engagement to the conduct of
webinars of UC employees according to the
following variables:
1. Status of employment (Permanent,
Probationary, Contractual, Part-time) ANOVA
2. Category of employment (Non-
teaching/teaching)
t-Test
3. Ranking Status ( I, II, III, IV) ANOVA
 1. State the Null hypothesis and the
Deciding Whether Scientific or Alternative
to Reject or hypothesis. (Probability)
Accept the Null 2. Select an appropriate test
Hypothesis statistic.
(Hypothesis 3. Establish the level of
Testing) significance. Probability that
sample means are different
enough to reject Ho (alpha .05
or .01)
• Used to control the risk for
a Type I error.
 Types of Errors
True False
True Type II Error
Correct decision
(Null accepted) (False Negative)
False Type1 Error
Correct decision
(Null rejected) (False positive)
Deciding Whether
to Reject or
Accept the Null
Hypothesis
(Hypothesis 4. Test statistic
Testing) 5. Identify P Value
6. Decide or Conclude
 Significant if Null
L E Hypothesis is Rejected

RU (p < α .05)

Not Significant if Null

Hypothesis is Accepted
(p > α .05)
Decide whether the p-value is Significant or Not Significant