Statistics Flashcards
(109 cards)
definition of statistics?
use of a study to explore the most important/concise information from a huge set of data using a small set of data
definition of population/global data?
a huge set of data to be investigated, or an experimental set of data with a specific condition
definition of a sample(s)?
a small set of data from the population/global data
definition of sampling?
randomly taking a set of samples from population data
why should sampling always be randomised?
randomised sampling means the data will always be representative of the bigger population
what key indexes are used to represent a set of data?
- Mean
2. Standard deviation (SD)
what is the definition of mean?
the mean is an an average:
the sum of the samples/total number of samples
what is the meaning of mean in terms of data distribution?
the mean gives information concerning how the data is CONCENTRATED
what is the definition of standard deviation?
the SD indicates how much the values of a data set vary from the mean value on average
i.e. gives the average distance from samples to a centre value (mean)
what is the meaning of standard deviation in terms of data distribution?
the standard deviation gives information concerning how the data is SEPARATED
what is the equation for standard deviation?
(can’t write oot just write doon)
what does ‘frequency of data’ mean in stats?
the number that similar data occurs
what does ‘distribution of data’ mean in stats?
the shape constructed by data frequencies
what relationship exists between the frequency of data and distribution of data?
data frequencies plotted together will establish a pattern - the distribution of data
In SPSS, what can users do with the Variable View interface?
define a variable: by name, type and labelling.
In SPSS, what can users do with the Data View interface?
edit data: e.g. copy, paste, delete.
when defining a variable in SPSS, what ‘type’ of data is preferred and why?
Numeric data - can be changed into another form
if a huge number of samples are collected from variables with natural characteristics, the data may form a famous distribution.
What is that?
What shape does it look like?
At the peak position of this distribution, what key value is expected?
A normal distribution curve.
Bell-shaped.
Peak position - the mean.
In Normal Distribution, how much data would be included in the approximate range of:
mean +/- 1 standard deviation?
mean +/- 2 standard deviation?
mean +/- 3 standard deviation?
mean +/- 1 SD : 68%
mean +/- 2 SD: 95%
mean +/- 3 SD: 99%
In stats there are 3 main data types. What are they?
- Numeric data
- e.g. body mass, age, score - Nominal data
- categories without rank
- e.g. gender, colour, weekday - Ordinal data
- categories with rank
- e.g. feeling, satisfaction, visual analogy scale
What types of files can be imported into SPSS directly?
txt
excel file
import data manually
What are the most important indexes to report on in normal data distribution description?
- Mean
- Standard Deviation
- Standard error of mean
- 95% confidence interval: mean +/- 2SEM
- Max and Min values
What is the definition of Standard Error of Mean (SEM)?
shows the”true mean” for the population when multiple sample groups result in several means. if “mean” is used as a variable, and the distribution of means is plotted, it is still a normal distribution.
SEM is the standard deviation of means.
SEM = SD/square root of number of samples
What is a confidence interval?
How do you use SEM to estimate the confidence interval range of mean?
the confidence interval is the range where the global mean could fall within (SEM) .
because plotting means as a variable produces a normal distribution curve, a 95% confidence interval is roughly:
mean +/- SEM