QUANTITATIVE

DATA ANALYSIS
(DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS)
Preparing data for analysis...
Data must be accurately scored and
systematically organized to facilitate
data analysis:
tabulating: organizing the data in a
systematic manner
coding: assigning numerals (e.g., ID)
to data
scoring: assigning a total to each
participants instrument
descriptive statistics...
permit the researcher to describe
many pieces of data with a few
indices
Types of descriptive statistics
1. graphs
2. measures of central tendency
3. measures of variability
1. Graphs
frequency polygon
pie chart
boxplot
stem-and-leaf chart
measures of central tendency...
indices enabling the researcher to
determine the typical or average
score of a group of scores
2. Measures of central tendency
mode... the score attained by more
participants than any other score
median... the point in a distribution above
and below which are 50% of the scores
mean... the arithmetic average of the scores




measures of variability...
indices enabling the researcher to
indicate how spread out a group of
scores are
3. Measures of variability
Range - the difference between the highest and lowest
score in a distribution

Quartile deviation - one half of the difference between
the upper quartile (the 75%ile) and the lower quartile (the
25%ile) in a distribution

Variance - a summary statistic indicating the degree of
variability among participants for a given variable

Standard deviation - the square root of variance
providing an index of variability in the distribution of scores



NORMAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF DATA
(THE NORMAL CURVE)
A bell-shaped distribution of scores having
four identifiable properties
50% of the scores fall above the mean
and 50% of the scores fall below the
mean
the mean, median, and mode are the
same value
most scores are near the mean and,
the farther from the mean a score is,
the fewer the number of participants
who attained that score
the same number, or percentage, of
scores is between the mean and plus
one standard deviation as is between
the mean and minus one standard
deviation
NON-NORMAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF DATA
(SKEWED DISTRIBUTIONS)
A non-bell-shaped distribution of scores
where
mean < median < mode
(a negatively skewed distribution)
mean > median > mode
(a positively skewed distribution)
CORRELATIONS
determines whether and to what degree
a relationship exists between two or
more quantifiable variables
the degree of the relationship is
expressed as a coefficient of correlation
the presence of a correlation does not
indicate a cause-effect relationship
primarily because of the possibility of
multiple confounding factors
Correlation coefficient
-1.00 +1.00
strong negative
strong positive
0.00
no relationship