Chapter 1: Intro to Stats

Question 1

What are Statistics?

Answer 1

Statistics are used to predict important outcomes and make decisions about many things in your everyday life

Question 2

Population

Answer 2

The entire group of individuals

Question 3

Sample

Answer 3

The smaller group selected from the population

Question 4

Variable

Answer 4

Characteristic or condition that can change or take on different values

Question 5

Data

Answer 5

The measurements obtained in a research study

Question 6

Relationship between the population and sample

Answer 6

The sample is selected from the population and the results are generalized to the population (populations are often too large to sample– it’s rare to even know their size)

Question 7

Descriptive statistics

Answer 7

• Methods for organizing, summarizing, and simplifying data
• Familiar examples: tables, graphs, averages

Question 8

Parameter

Answer 8

descriptive value for a population

Question 9

Statistic

Answer 9

a descriptive value for a sample

Question 10

Inferential Statistics

Answer 10

• Methods for using sample data to make general conclusions (inferences) about the population
• Interprets experimental data

Question 11

Sampling Error

Answer 11

The discrepancy between a sample statistic and its population parameter

Question 12

Discrete Variables

Answer 12

indivisible categories, each unit is the smallest it can be
Ex. Fruit types

Question 13

Continuous Variables

Answer 13

infinitely divisible into whatever units a researcher may choose. They can be broken into small units
Ex. weight

Question 14

Real limits of continuous variables

Answer 14

Boundaries of each interval representing scores measured on a continuous number line

Question 15

Upper real limit

Answer 15

Marks the top of the interval

Question 16

Lower real limit

Answer 16

Marks the bottom of the interval

Question 17

Nominal scale

Answer 17

an unordered set of categories identified only by name. Nominal measurements only permit you to determine whether two individuals are the same or different
Ex. gender identity

Question 18

Ordinal scale

Answer 18

a set of ordered categories. Ordinal measurements tell you the direction of difference between two individuals
Ex. high school vs bachelor’s degree vs. PhD

Question 19

Interval scale

Answer 19

an ordered series of equal-sized categories. Interval measurements identify the direction and magnitude of a difference. The zero point is located arbitrarily on an interval scale
Zero doesn’t mean NONE
ex. Temperature

Question 20

Ratio scale

Answer 20

an interval scale where a value of zero indicates none of the variables. Ratio measurements identify the direction and magnitude of differences and allow ratio comparisons of measurements.
Ex. time

Question 21

Order of Operations

Answer 21

Brackets
Squaring/exponents
Multiplying/dividing
Summation with the ∑ notation
Adding/subtracting

Question 22

Summing a set of values

Answer 22

∑

Question 23

Experiment

Answer 23

one variable is manipulated to create treatment conditions, while a second variable is observed and measured to obtain scores for a group of individuals in each of the treatment conditions
The measurements are then compared to see if there are differences between treatment conditions

Question 24

Independent Variable

Answer 24

the manipulated variable

Question 25

Dependent Variable

Answer 25

the observed variable

Question 26

Non-experimental/quasi-experimental

Answer 26

Do not use a manipulated variable to differentiate the groups. Instead, differentiate variables using pre-existing variables

Question 27

x and y

Answer 27

The individual measurements obtained for a research participant

Question 28

N

Answer 28

The number of scores in a population

Question 29

n

Answer 29

the number of scores in a sample