MSG285

2. DESCRIBING QUALITATIVE & QUANTITATIVE

DATA
(Exploratory Data Analysis)
QUALITATIVE DATA
Frequency Distributions
Stat > tables > Tally Individuals Variables
Bar Chart
Graph > Bar Chart
Pie Chart
Graph > Pie Chart
Pareto Chart
Stat > Quality Tools > Pareto Chart
Classifying Qualitative data
Stat > Tables >Cross Tabulation and Chi-Square
Example:
A sample of 300 college students were asked to indicate their
favorite soft drink. The survey results are shown.
Soft Drink
Pepsi-Cola
Coca-Cola
Sprite
Seven-up
Others

Number of
students
92
78
48
42
40
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Example:
Consider the following sample of 30 students randomly
sampled from the class data. Students were asked to state their
marital status & car type. Compare the types of cars that
students own for each marital status group.
Student

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

Car type
US
US
Foreign
US
US
US
None
US
US
US
None
US
US
US
None

Student

Status
S
S
S
S
M
S
M
O
M
S
S
O
S
S
S

16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

Car type
US
US
Foreign
Foreign
US
US
None
US
Foreign
US
US
Foreign
US
US
None

Status
M
S
S
M
O
O
O
S
S
S
S
M
M
M
O

S Single
M Married
O Others

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QUANTITATIVE DATA
Graphs
Stem-And-Leaf Display
Graph > Stem-and-Leaf
Stat > EDA > Stem-and-Leaf
Histogram
Graph > Histogram
Dotplot
Graph > Dotplot
Numerical Descriptive Measures
Statistics For Data Stored In Columns
Calc > Column Statistics
(Calculates & prints a statistic for the data in one column.)
Statistics For Data Stored In Columns
Calc > Row Statistics
(Calculates a statistic for each row in a set of column & stores
the result in the corresponding row of a new column)

Numerical descriptive Statistics

Stat > Basic Statistics > Display Descriptive Statistics
(Generates a table of descriptive statistics )
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Measures of relative Standing

Describe the relationship of a measurement to the rest of the
data.
Boxplots
Graph > Boxplot
Stat > EDA > Boxplot

Standard scores or Z-Scores

Calc > Standardize
Example 1:
The rat-rest pulse rates, over a one minute period, of 50 adult
males is recorded as below:
75 71 66 58 77 82 69 72 65 77 70 75 72
74 63 79 71 74 85 49 58 73 71 66 80 75
69 66 78 65 69 77 73 74 81 80 75 58
77 74 76 70 68 67 74 78 70 72 74 77
Construct frequency, cumulative frequency, relative frequency
and cumulative relative frequency tables.
Construct and interpret a stem-and-leaf display, a histogram
and dotplot

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Example 2:
The following data values were obtained from a survey of 10
households asking for an estimate of their average monthly long
distance telephone bill (in RM) and average number of long-distance
calls made each month.
Household No.
Monthly cost
No. Of calls

1
15
16

2
21
12

3
8
15

4
23
25

5
5
5

6
36
20

7
18
6

8
6
10

9
16
30

10
11
20

Cacl> Calculator>K1>Sum(C2)/10 OK
Data>Display Data > k1 >OK
Second method :
Stat > Basic Statistics > Display Descriptive Statistics
Mean =
Median =
Determine the mean number of calls made.
Mean =
Third way to get the mean is
Calc > Column Statistics >.
(a) To print out the content of the Data window:
File > Print Worksheet after highlighting the data in
column c1, c2, etc.
Display Data & print from Session window.
(b) To sort the data:
Sort > .
(c) For a histogram:
Graph > Histogram >
(d) To transform the data :
Calc > Calculator > Expressions: Loge (c1) or Logten(c1)
if the transformation is the logarithmic transformation.
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3. PROBABILITY SIMULATION OF EXPERIMENTS

Purpose to use MINITAB to
1. generate random numbers from a variety of population
distributions
2. perform simulations of probability experiments
3. aid in the understanding of the Law of Large Numbers
4. display graphs relating to theoretical empirical probability
distribution
5. develop an understanding of an experiment involving
independent trials
Background information
1. Probability experiment a random process which generates
various results called outcomes of the experiment. In a random
process the results will not be known in advance but should
follow a predictable pattern when the experiment is repeated a
large number of times.
2. Sample space the set of all outcomes of a probability
experiment.
3. Event a subset of the sample space.
4. Probability of an event E a value P(E) between 0 and 1 which is
assigned to E. If the outcomes in E are equally likely to occur,
then
P(E) = f where n = no. of outcomes in the sample space
n

f = no. of outcomes belonging to E

5. Empirical Probability of an event E if a probability experiment
is carried out repeatedly, then the empirical probability of E is
given by
P(E) = f where n = no. of trials of the experiment
n

f = no. of favorable trials, i.e. trials where the outcome is

in E
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6. Law of Large Numbers when the probability experiment is

conducted a large number of times, the empirical probability
P'(E) can be expected to be close to the theoretical probability
P(E) of an event E. This approximation to P(E) should improve
as the number of trials increase.
7. Independent trials when a probability experiment involves
several trials, they are independent whenever a probability
associated with one trial is not affected by what has occurred
from the other trials.
8. Random number a number chosen in a random manner from a
given probability distribution. When a large number of random
selections are made, the distribution of the resulting values
should closely conform to give theoretical probability
distribution.
9. Simulation of a probability experiment a model used to
generate random numbers which represent the outcomes of a
probability experiment.

PROCEDURES
When the MINITAB option Calc > Random Data is chosen, it shows
the various distributions from which to select to conduct random
sampling.

Example 1:
Simulate the tossing of a fair coin 500 times and record heads (code :1)
and tails (code: 0)
Label column C1 with Toss No. & column C2 with Value
Select Calc > Make Pattern Data> Simple set of Numbers
..
Next to generate 500 values from Bernoulli distribution into column C2
Calc > Random Data > Bernoulli
Generate :
Store in column(s):
Prob. Of success :
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Label C3 with Par Sum

Label C4 with AV Head
Calc> Calculator > Store result in var C3
Expression : .
Store result in var C4
Expression: .
Graph > Scatterplot> Simple .

SIMULATING EQUAL LIKELY EVENTS

Example 2:
A random event is the roll of a die. When the die is rolled. The possible
outcomes are the numbers 1 to 6. If the die is fair, each outcome is
equally likely & has probability of 1 6 .We could also calculate
experimental probabilities by rolling a fair die a large number of
times. These experimental probabilities should closely agree with the
probabilities in the theoretical model.
Calc > Random Data > Integer
Generate : 100 rows
Store in C1
Minimum Value 1
Maximum value 6
Stat > Tables > Tally Individual Variables
The result of the experiment will tend to be closer to the theoretical
model if the number of trials is increased.
Let see what happens if we roll a die 1000 times.

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SIMULATING EVENTS THAT ARE NOT EQUALLY LIKELY

Suppose that the die is biased that is a 1 will occur 50% of the time
and the remaining 5 numbers will each occur 10% of the time.
Simulating this experiment requires the use of a probability distribution
because these events do not have equal probability.

X
1
2
3
4
5
6

P(X)
0.5
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1

To simulate we need to enter the probability distribution into the Data

Window.
Calc > Random Data > Discrete
Generate : 100 rows
Store in Columns : C3
Values in : C1
Probabilities in : C2
OK
Stat > Tables > Tally Individual Variables

SIMULATING DATA FROM A NORMAL DISTRIBUTION

Example 3:
For the population of males between 18 & 74 years old inclusive, in
USA, systolic blood pressure is approx. normally distributed with
mean 129 millimeters of mercury & standard deviation 19.8
millimeters of mercury. Suppose we take a random sample of 25 men
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& measure their systolic blood pressure. Would the sample look
normal?
We do not have the time or money to take a random sample of 25 men,
so we will use simulation.

Calc > Random Data > Normal

Generate :
Store : .
Enter a mean ., std. deviation . OK
The three sample should be displayed & compare
Can display 3 dotplots on the same graph.
Graph > Dotplot > Multiple Ys, Simple, OK
Enter ..
OK
Look at some sample statistics:
Stat > Basic Stat > Display Descriptive Stat
Enter .

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