Chapter 1- Introduction to Statistics

Question 1

What are descriptive statistics?

Answer 1

Organizes and summarizes data about a sample. Communicates observations but does not make assumptions or conclusions.

Question 2

What are inferential statistics?

Answer 2

Draws conclusions about population based on information from a sample

Question 3

What is a sample?

Answer 3

set of observations drawn from the population of interest. Statistic value

Question 4

What is a population?

Answer 4

ALL possible observations. This is difficult to study so researchers focus on a sample of the population. Parameter value

Question 5

What are variables?

Answer 5

Observations of physical, attitudinal, and behavioral characteristics that can take on different values

Question 6

What are discrete observations?

Answer 6

SPECIFIC values. No other values can exist between these numbers. Whole numbers only. (letters in your name)

Question 7

What are two types of discrete observations?

Answer 7

Nominal and Ordinal

Question 8

What are nominal discrete observations?

Answer 8

Categories and names as their values (hair color, gender, flavors, race

Question 9

What are ordinal discrete observations?

Answer 9

Rankings or order as their values (military, school, sports)

Question 10

What are continuous observations?

Answer 10

observations that can take on a full range of numerical values; numbers out several decimal places (example: 12.839 seconds, or how tall you are)

Question 11

What are two continuous observations?

Answer 11

Interval and Ratio

Question 12

What are interval continuous observations?

Answer 12

Observations that have numbers as their values; the distance or interval between pair of consecutive numbers. The distance between the numbers are assumed to be equal. Time and distance are continuous interval observations but are also ratio because they have a true zero point that means something

Question 13

What are ratio continuous observations?

Answer 13

The same criteria as interval continuous observations but the difference is the true, meaningful zero point (money, reaction time) You can make statements (twice as tall/ half as)

Question 14

Examples of Variables using cookies:
Nominal
Ordinal
Interval
Ratio

Answer 14

Nominal: name of cookies
Ordinal: rank of favorite cookies
Interval: temperature of cookies
Ratio: how many cookies are left

Question 15

Are nominal values always discrete?

Answer 15

Yes, always

Question 16

Are nominal values continuous?

Answer 16

No, never

Question 17

Are ordinal values always discrete?

Answer 17

Yes, always

Question 18

Are interval values discrete?

Answer 18

Sometimes. There are 7 days of the week; the time between each day is the same (24 hours) . In addition, the days of the week can fit into a nominal category.

Question 19

Are interval values discrete?

Answer 19

Sometimes. Personality and Attitude measure

Question 20

Are interval values continuous?

Answer 20

Sometimes but yes

Question 21

Are ratio values discrete?

Answer 21

Seldom

Question 22

Are ratio values continuous?

Answer 22

Almost always

Question 23

What are levels?

Answer 23

discrete value or conditions a variable can take on. Variables vary.

Question 24

What are three types of variables?

Answer 24

independent, dependent, and confounding

Question 25

What is an independent variable?

Answer 25

An independent variable has at least 2 levels that can be manipulated or observed to determine its effect on the dependent variable. (IV)

Question 26

What is a dependent variable?

Answer 26

A dependent variable is the outcome variable that we hypothesize to be related to, or caused by, changes in the independent variable (DV)

Question 27

What is a confounding variable?

Answer 27

A confounding variable that systematically varies with the independent variable so that we cannot logically determine which variable is at work ( soda has caffeine which can effect something but soda also has sugar which can effect something too. It difficult to determine which variable effect the dependent variable

Question 28

What is a reliability?

Answer 28

Reliability is a measure that is consistent. Consistency--the same now, the same in an hour, year, ect.

Question 29

What is validity?

Answer 29

Validity is a measure that measures what it is intended to measure. Bathroom scale measures weight, not fat

Question 30

Can a test with poor reliability have high validity?

Answer 30

No. It should have both reliability and validity. It is not possible to measure what its intended to measure when the test itself produces varying results

Question 31

Is a good variable both reliable and valid?

Answer 31

Yes

Question 32

Does the independent value predict the independent value?

Answer 32

`Yes

Question 33

What is hypothesis testing?

Answer 33

Hypothesis testing is the process of drawing conclusions about whether a particular relation between variables is supported by evidence.

Question 34

What is a correlation?

Answer 34

A correlation is an associate between 2 or more variables. Making simple statement about associations.

Question 35

What is an experiment?

Answer 35

An experiment is a study which participants are randomly assigned to a condition or level of one or more independent variables. Experiments attempt to explain a cause-effect relation between independent and dependent variable

Question 36

What is correlational researach?

Answer 36

Research which random assignment of participants is not possible. Cannot make causal statements

Question 37

What is random assignment?

Answer 37

Every participant in the study has an equal chance of being assigned to any condition. Able to make causal statements