Chapter 1 Flashcards
Qualitative Variable
A variable having values that indicate into which of several categories a population element belongs.
Census
An examination of all the elements in a population.
Cross-sectional data
Data collected at the same or approximately the same point in time.
Data
Facts and figures from which conclusions can be drawn.
Data set
Facts and figures, taken together, that are collected for a statistical study.
Descriptive statistics
The science of describing the important aspects of a set of measurements.
Element
A person, object, or other entity about which we wish to draw a conclusion.
Experimental study
A statistical study in which the analyst is able to set or manipulate the values of the factors.
Factor
A variable that may be related to the response variable.
Finite population
A population that contains a finite number of elements.
Infinite population
A population that is defined so that there is no limit to the number of elements that could potentially belong to the population.
Interval variable
A quantitative variable such that ratios of its values are not meaningful and for which there is not an inherently defined zero value.
Measurement
The process of assigning a value of a variable to an element in a population or sample.
Nominative variable
A qualitative variable for which there is no meaningful ordering, or ranking, of the categories.
Observational study
A statistical study in which the analyst is not able to control the values of the factors.
Ordinal variable
A qualitative variable for which there is a meaningful ordering or ranking of the categories.
Population
The set of all elements about which we wish to draw conclusions.
Process
A sequence of operations that takes inputs and turns them into outputs.
Qualitative (Categorical) variable
A variable having values that indicate into which of several categories a population element belongs.
Quantitative variable
A variable having values that are numbers representing quantities.
Ratio variable
A quantitative variable such that ratios of its values are meaningful and for which there is an inherently defined zero value.
Response variable
A variable of interest that we wish to study.
Sample
A subset of the elements in a population.
Statistical inference
The science of using a sample of measurements to make generalizations about the important aspects of a population.
Survey
An instrument employed to collect data.
Time series data
Data collected over different time periods.
Time series plot (runs plot)
A plot of time series data versus time.
Variable
A characteristic of a population or sample element.
