Research Methods- Inferential Testing

Question 1

Descriptive statistics:

Answer 1

Measures of central tendency and measures of dispersion summarise and describe the raw data researchers have collected from their sample.
Inferential statistics use the data collected from the sample to make inferences (assumptions) about the behaviour of the entire target population.

Question 2

Probability:

Answer 2

Researchers test the data they collect from the sample to assess the probability these results are due to chance variation. If the likelihood of the result occurring due to chance is less than 1 in 20 (expressed more formally as P=<0.05), then the results are judged to be significant, the alternate hypothesis (H1) is accepted, and the null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected.

If results do not pass this test of significance, the null is accepted, and the alternate hypothesis is rejected.

Question 3

Statistical tests are:

Answer 3

the mathematical tools researchers use to determine if the results are significant, there are a range of statistical tests, and different tests are appropriate depending on the research design used and the level of data collected.

Question 4

What acronym should you remember ?

Answer 4

Space Weather Really
Contains Many UFOs
Chasing Small Pigs

Question 5

Space Weather Really
Contains Many UFOs
Chasing Small Pigs

Answer 5

Nominal. Ordinal. Interval

Sign test Wilcoxon Related test

Chi Mann. Unrelated
squared Whitney test

Chi. Spearman’s Pearsons
squared Rho R