2.4- Statistical Primer

Question 1

descriptive statistics

Answer 1

a set of technique used to organize, summarize, and interpret data (big picture)

Question 2

frequency

Answer 2

the number of observations that fall within a certain category or range of scores

Question 3

normal distribution (bell curve)

Answer 3

a symmetrical distribution with values clustered around a central, mean value

Question 4

skewed distrubution

Answer 4

a asymmetrical distribution with a large cluster of scores on one side, and a long “tail” on the other side

Question 5

central tendency

Answer 5

a measure of the central point of a distribution- look at where the scores seem to cluster together (mean, median, mode)

Question 6

variability

Answer 6

the degree to which scores are dispersed in a distribution

Question 7

standard deviation

Answer 7

a calculation that allows researchers to link central tendency and variability - a measure of variability around mean

Question 8

hypothesis test

Answer 8

a statistical method of evaluating whether differences among groups are meaningful or could have been arrived at by chance alone

Question 9

statistical significance

Answer 9

a concept that implies that the meaning of the group (or conditions) are due to chance

Question 10

null hypothesis

Answer 10

assumes that any difference’s between groups are due to chance

Question 11

experimental hypothesis

Answer 11

assumes that any differences are due to a variable controlled by the experimenters