Chapter 1: Introduction to Statistics

Question 1

Statistics

Answer 1

science of collecting, analyzing, organizing, and interpreting data in order to make decisions

Question 2

Why study statistics?

Answer 2

1) To construct meaning out of the data around us
2) To recognize problems with published information
3) To draw conclusions from data
4) To improve processes
5) To obtain reliable forecasts (e.g. weather, stock market)

Question 3

What do we use statistics for?

Answer 3

Discovering information on a characteristic of the population

Question 4

Population

Answer 4

the entire collection of individuals or objects about which information is desired; collection of all outcomes, responses, measurements, or counts that are of interest

Question 5

Why might you not be able to collect data from the entire population?

Answer 5

Depends on what “you” want to know. If you were studying breast cancer in women, you wouldn’t use men. Furthermore, there are too many people. Some might not wish to participate.

• Cannot identify entire population
• Cost too much, too much time
• Pop infinite

Question 6

Sample

Answer 6

subset of the population

a set can be a subset of itself

Question 7

Two branches of statistics:

Answer 7

1) Descriptive - describing sets of data; tables, graphs, numerical calculations
2) Inferential - drawing conclusions; use information obtained from a sample to draw a conclusion on a population

Question 8

Data

Answer 8

information coming from observations, counts, measurements, or responses

Question 9

Descriptive Statistics

Answer 9

branch of statistics that involves the organization, summarization, and display of data

Question 10

Inferential Statistics

Answer 10

branch of statistics that involves using a sample to draw conclusions about a population; basic tool used: probability

Question 11

Qualitative Data

Answer 11

consist of attributes, labels, or nonnumerical entries

Question 12

Quantitative Data

Answer 12

consist of numerical measurements or counts

Question 13

Four levels of measurement:

Answer 13

1) Nominal
2) Ordinal
3) Interval
4) Ratio

Question 14

Nominal level of measurement

Answer 14

Qualitative only; categorized using names, labels, or qualities; NO MATHEMATICAL COMPUTATIONS CAN BE MADE

Question 15

Ordinal level of measurement

Answer 15

Qualitative or quantitative; can be arranged in order, or ranked, but differences between data entries are not meaningful

Question 16

Interval level of measurement

Answer 16

Quantitative only; can be ordered; meaningful differences between data entries can be calculated; a zero entry simply represents a position on a scale; the entry is not an inherent zero

Question 17

Ratio level of measurement

Answer 17

Quantitative; similar to data at the interval level, BUT zero entry is an inherent zero; a ratio of two data entries can be formed so that one data entry can be meaningfully expressed as a multiple of another

Question 18

Inherent zero

Answer 18

zero implies “none”; ex: money; NOT-ex: temperature