Research Methods : Descriptive Statistics

Question 1

Whats a descriptive statistic?

Answer 1

Use of graphs, tables + summary stats to identify trends and analyse sets of data

Question 2

Whats an inferential statistic?

Answer 2

Where a statistical test is calculated in order to draw conclusions about hypotheses

Question 3

Whats the mean?

Answer 3

the average → add all values, divide by number you added, used with interval + ratio

Question 4

Advs of mean

Answer 4

Takes into account all data (more representative)

Question 5

Disadvs of mean

Answer 5

Easily distorted by anomalies

Question 6

Whats the median?

Answer 6

the middle → arrange scores from lowest to highest and identify the middle, ordinal data

Question 7

Advs of median

Answer 7

Less effected by extreme scores

Question 8

Disadvs of median

Answer 8

Doesn’t take into account all data (not representative)

Question 9

Whats the mode?

Answer 9

most frequent → most common score, nominal

Question 10

Advs of mode

Answer 10

• only average nominal data can use
• easy to calculate

Question 11

Mode Disadvs

Answer 11

• very basic and not representative
• not useful when data is bimodal/ doesn’t have a mode

Question 12

Whats bimodal?

Answer 12

When there are toe values

Question 13

Whats measured of dispersion?

Answer 13

Describe the spread of data around a central value

Question 14

Whats the range?

Answer 14

the difference → sub lowest from highest, median or mean

Question 15

Range advs

Answer 15

• quick + easy to calculate

Question 16

Disadvs range

Answer 16

Doesn’t take central values o data into account, so easily skewed by anomalies

Question 17

Whats standard deviation?

Answer 17

How far scores deviate from mean, the larger the SD the greater the spread within a data set. Large SD → not all Ps affected by IV. Low SD → data is tightly clustered, suggestive ps responded in a similar way (reliable results)

Question 18

Standard deviation advs

Answer 18

More precise than range as it traces into account all values

Question 19

Standard deviation Disadvs

Answer 19

Extreme values may not be revealed