Statistics Reading Chapter 1

What level of measurement comes after ordinal?

Interval level of measurement

Why is the knowledge of statistics important?

It's important so you can make sound decisions using data.

What is the definition of descriptive statistics?

Methods of organizing, summarizing, and presenting data in an informative way.

What is the definition of "population" in statistics?

The entire set of individuals or objects of interest or the measurements obtained from all individuals or objects of interest.

How are discrete variables usually measured?

They are counted

How is data at a nominal level usually processed?

To process the data for a variable measured at the nominal level, we often numerically code the labels or names.

What makes variables discrete?

Discrete variables can assume only certain values, and there are "gaps" between the values.

How are continuous variables usually measured?

Typically, continuous variables result from measuring.

Which of the following are examples of how statistics is applied? a) College GPA b) Inflation rate c) Price of a new BMW d) All of the above

d) All of the above

What is interval measurement?

For data recorded at the interval level of measurement, the interval or the distance between values is meaningful. The interval level of measurement is based on a scale with a known unit of measurement.

How is ordinal level data usually measured?

For this level of measurement a qualitative variable or attribute is either ranked or rated on a relative scale.

What is the difference between interval and ratio level data?

If the distances between the numbers make sense, but the ratios do not, then you have an interval scale of measurement.

Whats the difference between nominal and ordinal level data?

Nominal is just counted and measured, whereas that counted data is ranked based on some relative scale in the ordinal level of measurement.

What is the lowest and most primitive level of measurement?

Nominal.

What makes variables continuous?

Observations of a continuous variable can assume any value within a specific range.

What is the next higher level of measurement after nominal data?

Ordinal level of measurement.

What are some methods and techniques to generate descriptive statistics?

Organizing and summarizing data with frequency distributions and presenting frequency distributions with charts and graphs.

What are the values associated with the practices of statistics?

Practice of statistics should be based on integrity and honesty when: 1. Collecting data 2. Analyzing data 3. Reporting results and conclusions based on the data

What level of measurement comes after interval level?

Ratio-level

What do almost all quantitative variables use as a level of measurement?

Ratio-level measurement

What is the highest and most sophisticated level of measurement?

Ratio.

Why are samples used?

Samples are often used to obtain reliable estimates of population parameters.

What are the three reasons for studying statistics?

(1) data are collected everywhere and require statistical knowledge to make the information useful (2) statistical techniques are used to make professional and personal decisions (3) no matter what your career, you will need a knowledge of statistics to understand the world and to be conversant in your career

What are the two basic types of variables?

(1) qualitative and (2) quantitative

What is statistics?

Basically, statistics is looking at data to try and make sound decisions and predictions.

How are qualitative variables summarized?

Charts and bar graphs

What is nominal measurement?

Data recorded at the nominal level of measurement is represented as labels or names. They have no order. They can only be classified and counted.

What is ordinal measurement?

Data recorded at the ordinal level of measurement is based on a relative ranking or rating of items based on a defined attribute or qualitative variable. Variables based on this level of measurement are only ranked or counted.

What is ratio measurement?

Data recorded at the ratio level of measurement are based on a scale with a known unit of measurement and a meaningful interpretation of zero on the scale.

What are the two types of quantitative variables?

1. Discrete 2. Continuous

What are some examples of a qualitative variable? Give five.

1. Gender 2. Beverage type 3. Type of vehicle owned 4. State of birth 5. Eye color

What does levels of measurement determine?

1. How data should be summarized and presented. 2. Indicates the type of statistical analysis that can be performed.

What is the level of measurement for each of the following variables? 1. Student IQ ratings. 2. Distance students travel to class. 3. The jersey numbers of a sorority soccer team. 4. A student's state of birth. 5. A student's academic class—that is, freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior. 6. Number of hours students study per week.

1. Interval 2. Ratio 3. Nominal 4. Nominal 5. Ordinal 6. Ratio

What are the four levels of measurement?

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

What is a sample?

A portion, or part, of the population of interest.

What makes variables quantitative?

When a variable can be reported numerically, the variable is called a quantitative variable.

What do we do with qualitative variables?

When a variable is qualitative, we usually count the number of observations for each category and determine what percent are in each category.

What makes variables qualitative?

When an object or individual is observed and recorded as a non-numeric characteristic, it is a qualitative variable or an attribute.

What is the level of measurement reflected by the following data? (a) The age of each person in a sample of 50 adults who listen to one of the 1,230 talk radio stations in the United States (b) In a survey of 200 luxury-car owners, 100 were from California, 50 from New York, 30 from Illinois, and 20 from Ohio.

a) Age is a ratio-scale variable. A 40-year-old is twice as old as someone 20 years old. b) Nominal scale. We could arrange the states in any order.

What is the definition of inferential statistics?

The methods used to estimate a property of a population on the basis of a sample.

What is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics?

Descriptive statistics organizes, summarizes, and presents raw data in a meaningful way. Inferential statistics gives an estimate of some property of a population by using a sample of that population.

The Atlanta-based advertising firm Brandon and Associates asked a sample of 1,960 consumers to try a newly developed chicken dinner by Boston Market. Of the 1,960 sampled, 1,176 said they would purchase the dinner if it is marketed. (a) What could Brandon and Associates report to Boston Market regarding acceptance of the chicken dinner in the population? (b) Is this an example of descriptive statistics or inferential statistics? Explain.

a) On the basis of the sample of 1,960 consumers, we estimate that, if it is marketed, 60% of all consumers will purchase the chicken dinner: (1,176/1,960) × 100 = 60% b) Inferential statistics, because a sample was used to draw a conclusion about how all consumers in the population would react if the chicken dinner were marketed.

What is the definition of statistics?

Statistics is the set of knowledge and skills used to organize, summarize, and analyze data.

What is a statistic? a) a statistic is a sample of trends b) a statistic is data used to identify a trend c) a statistic is a measure of an event d) a statistic is a number used to communicate a piece of information

d) a statistic is a number used to communicate a piece of information