Nature of Statistics Flashcards
A branch of applied mathematics that:
- Examines and investigates ways to process and analyze the data gathered.
- Deals with data collection, organization, presentation, analysis and interpretation.
Statistics
The totality of methods and treatments employed in the collection, description, and analysis of numerical data.
Descriptive Statistics
- The logical process from sample analysis to a generalization, inferences or conclusion about a population.
- Also called as statistical inference or inductive statistics.
Inferential Statistics
Data that come from original source, and are intended to answer specific research questions.
Primary data
Data that are taken from previously recorded data.
Secondary data
Data cannot be expressed as numbers.
Qualitative data
Data can be expressed by numbers
Quantitative data
Consists of all the members of the group about which you want to draw a conclusion.
Population
A portion, or part, of the population of interest selected for analysis.
Sample
A numerical index describing a characteristic of a population.
Parameter
A numerical index describing a characteristics of a sample.
Statistic
Characteristics of objects, people, or events that does not vary.
Constant
A characteristic of objects, people, or events that can take on different values. It can vary in quantity, or in quality.
Variable
- Conceptualized and analyzed as distinct categories, with no continuum implied.
- Also termed categorical variable.
Qualitative Variable
- Conceptualized and analyzed along a continuum implied.
- Also termed a numerical variable, it can be discrete or continuous variable.
Quantitative Variable
A researcher may classify variables according to the function they serve in the experiment.
Experimental Classification
Controlled by the experimenter/researcher, and expected to have an effect on the behavior of the subjects.
Independent variable (Explanatory variable)
Some measure of the behavior of subjects and expected to be influenced by the independent variable.
Dependent variable (Outcome variable)
Variables may also be classified in terms of the mathematical values they may take on within a given interval.
Mathematical Classification
A variable which can assume any of an infinite number of values, and can be associated with points on a continuous line interval.
Continuous Variable
A variable which consist of either a finite number of values or countable number of values.
Discrete Variable
Mutually exclusive and exhaustive meaning it is used to differentiate classes or categories for purely classification or identification purpose.
Nominal
Is a property of a set of categories such that an individual or object is included in only one category.
Mutually Exclusive
Is a property of a set of categories such that each individual or object must appear in a category.
Exhaustive
An observed value classified into one category is said to posses more of a property being scaled than does an observed value classified into another category.
Ordinal
Used to classify order and differentiate between classes or categories in terms of degrees of differences.
Interval
Differs from interval measurement only in one aspect; it has a true zero point.
Ratio
