Introduction to Statistics

What is Statistics?
•According to Lane D. et al., statistics refers to a range of techniques and
procedures for analyzing, interpreting, displaying, and making decisions based
on data.

Statistics is a collection of methods for collecting, displaying, analyzing, and

drawing conclusions from data. (Shafer & Zhang, 2012)
Branch of Statistics
Descriptive Statistics
“analyzing, interpreting, displaying”
“collection of methods for collecting, displaying, analyzing”
“organizing, displaying, and describing”
Inferential Statistics
“making decisions based on data”
“drawing conclusions from data”
“conclusions about a population based on data contained in a sample from that
population”
Types of Data
Qualitative Data or Categorical Data are measurements for which there is no
natural numerical scale, but which consist of attributes, labels, or other
nonnumerical characteristics.
◦ E.g. The natural hair color of 20 randomly selected fashion models.

Quantitative Data or Numerical Data are numerical measurements that arise

from a natural numerical scale.
◦ E.g. The ages of 20 randomly selected fashion models.
Population & Sample; Parameter & Statistic
Population specific collection of objects of interest.
E.g. Vehicles that passes through EDSA everyday.
Sample is any subset or subcollection of the population.
E.g. Random 200 vehicles that passes through EDSA everyday.
Parameter is a number that summarizes some aspect of the population as a whole.
E.g. The average number of Buses that passes through EDSA everyday.
Statistic is a number computed from the sample data
E.g. The average number of cabs from the random 200 vehicles that passes through EDSA
everyday
The
Grand
Picture of
Statistics
Practice
Identify the following measures as either quantitative or qualitative:
a. The genders of the first 40 newborns in a hospital one year.
◦ Qualitative

b. The fuel economy in miles per gallon of 20 new cars purchased last month.
◦ Quantitative

c. The political affiliation of 500 randomly selected voters.

◦ Qualitative
Practice
A sociologist wishes to estimate the proportion of all adults in a certain region
who have never married. In a random sample of 1,320 adults, 145 have never
married, hence 145∕1320 ≈ .11 or about 11% have never married.
a. What is the population of interest?
b. What is the parameter of interest?
c. What is the statistic involved?
d. Based on this sample; do we know the proportion of all adults who have
never married? Explain fully.
Practice
a. What is the population of interest?
◦ All adults in the region.

b. What is the parameter of interest?

◦ The proportion of the adults in the region who have never married.

c. What is the statistic involved?

◦ The proportion computed from the sample, 0.11 or 11%.

d. Based on this sample; do we know the proportion of all adults who have
never married? Explain fully.
◦ No, not exactly, but we know the approximate value of the proportion.
Types of Variables
Independent Variable is a variable that is presumed to influence other variable.
◦ “presumed cause”

Dependent Variable is a variable affected by the independent variable.

◦ “presumed effect”

Discrete Variable is a variable whose value is obtained through counting.

“number of children in a household”
Continuous Variable is a variable whose value is obtained by measuring.
◦ “time spent on playing mobile games”
Types of Scales
Nominal Scale is a scale of measurement used to assign events or objects into
discrete categories.
Ordinal Scale is a scale of measurement that uses labels to classify cases
(measurements) into ordered classes.
Interval Scale is a quantitative measurement scale where there is order, the
difference between the two variables is meaningful and equal, and the presence
of zero is arbitrary.
Ratio Scale allows any researcher to compare the intervals or differences. Ratio
scale is the 4th level of measurement and possesses a zero point or character of
origin.
Presentation of Data
Frequency Distribution Table is a table in which each distinct value x is listed
and its frequency

X f

18 – 19 23
x 19 – 20 21 – 22 23 – 24
f 21 12 15
16 – 17 21

14 – 15 33
Stem and Leaf Plot
Stem and Leaf Plot is a special table where each data value is split into a "stem"
(the first digit or digits) and a "leaf" (usually the last digit).
Histogram
Histogram is a graphical
display of data using bars of
different heights. In a
histogram, each bar groups
numbers into ranges. It is
particularly useful when
there are a large number of
observations.
Bar Graph
Bar Chart or Bar Graph is a
chart or graph that presents
categorical data with
rectangular bars with heights
or lengths proportional to the
values that they represent.
The bars can be plotted
vertically or horizontally. A
vertical bar chart is sometimes
called a column chart.
Line Graph
A line graph, also known as a line chart, is a type of chart used to visualize the
value of something over time.
Practice
1. Differentiate Independent Variable from Dependent Variable.
2. Differentiate Discrete Variable from Continuous Variable.
3. What are the 4 types of Scales? Explain each.
4. What is the distinction between Frequency Distribution Table and Stem and
Leaf Plot?
5. What are the differences between Bar Graph, Histogram, and Line Graph?