3rd exam Flashcards
(18 cards)
quantification
the process of converting data to a numerical format.
quantitative analysis
the techniques by which researchers convert data to numerical forms and subject them to statistical analyses.
univariate analysis
involves one variable.
bivariate analysis
involves two variables.
multivariate analysis
the examination of several variables simultaneously. Such as age, education, and prejudice.
quantitative analysis definition in book
the numerical representation and manipulation of observations for the purpose of describing and explaining the phenomena that those observations reflect.
what should code categories be
they should be both exhaustive and mutually exclusive.
how should every piece of information being coded fit.
it should fit into only one category
when do problems arise for coding.
when it appears to fit into more than one category or no category. Both of these signal a mismatch between your data and your coding scheme.
code book
the document used in data processing and analysis that tells the location of different data items in a data file. Typically, the codebook identifies the locations of data items and the meaning of the codes used to represent different attributes of variables.
what are the two essential functions of a codebook.
First, its the primary guide used in the coding process. Second, its your guide for locating variables and interpreting codes in your data file during analysis.
univariate analysis
the analysis of a single variable, for purposes of description. Frequency distributions, averages, and measures of dispersion would be examples of univarate analysis, as distinguished from bivariate and multivariate analysis.
frequency distribution
a description of the number of times the various attributes of a variable are observed in a sample. The report that 53 percent of a sample were men and 47 percent were women would be a simple example of a frequency distribution.
average
an ambiguous term generally suggesting typical or normal- a central tendency. The mean, median, and mode are specific examples of mathematical averages.
mean
an average computed by summing the values of several observations and dividing by the number of observations. If you now have a grade point average of 4.0 based on 10 courses, and you get an F in this course, your new grade point (mean) average will be 3.6.
mode
an average representing the most frequently observed value or attribute. If a sample contains 1,000 Protestants, 275 Catholics, and 33 Jews, Protestant is the modal category.
median
An average representing the value of the ‘‘middle’’ case in a rank- ordered set of observations. If the ages of five men are 16, 17, 20, 54, and 88, the median would be 20. ( the mean would be 39)
dispersion
the distribution of values around some central value, such as an average. the range is a simple example of a measure of dispersion. thus, we may report that the mean age of a group is 37.9, and the range is from 12 to 89.
