Appendix A Flashcards
Statistical Tools
measurement scale
a classification system used to measure variables
nominal scale
uses numbers instead of categorical names
dummy coding
the process of assigning numbers to categorical names for the nominal scale
dichotomous variable
a nominal scale variable with only two categories
ordinal scale
places variables in order/rank, only permitting to measure the value as higher or lower in scale
interval scales
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
a measurement scale that conveys order, has equal differences between scale points, and has a true zero point
histogram
bar graph
frequency polygon
points on a graph connected with a line
normal distribution
bell shaped curve
skewed distribution
non symmetrical because scores are extreme
range
variability in data (lowest and highest score)
Pearson r
the correlation coefficient used when both variables are continuous
alternative hypothesis
the hypothesis tested against the null hypothesis
p value (aka significance level)
the probability of making a Type 1 error
