Introductory Concepts

J.O.Gonzales
Two Definitions of Statistics
 In common usage, statistics refers to
numerical facts.
 As a science, statistics refers to a
group of methods that are used to
collect, analyze, present and interpret
data and to make decisions.
Four Basic Elements of Statistics
 Data collection
 Organization & presentation
 Analysis
 Interpretation
Two Types of Statistics
 Descriptive Statistics consists of
methods for organizing, displaying,
and describing data using tables,
graphs and summary measures.
 Inferential Statistics consists of
methods that use sample results to
help make decisions or predictions
about a population.
 Descriptive / Inferential
 As a result of a recent survey, many
Benildeans are in favor of a charter change.
 As a result of the analysis of a company’s
revenue in the past five years, it projects a 50%
growth in the next five years.
 At least 8% of all fires reported last year in a
certain city were caused by children playing
with matches.
 A medical researcher wishes to test an anti-HIV
drug and determine its harmful side effects.
 Descriptive / Inferential
 A sports writer wishes to list the highest goal
makers in all basketball games in the last five
NCAA seasons.
 As a result of text votes, a Philippine Idol
contestant expects to win in the forthcoming
final round.
 Of all women in a certain city who have taken
birth control pills, 60% later developed
significant ill side effects.
 As a result of recent cutbacks by government
offices, we can expect the unemployment rate
to double in the next year.
 Important Terms
 A population consists of all elements –
individuals, items, or objects – whose
characteristics are being studied. The
number of elements in a population is
called the population size (denoted by N).
 A sample is a portion of the population
selected for study. The number of
elements in a sample is called the sample
size (denoted by n).
Important Terms

 A parameter is any numerical data

describing the characteristics of a
population.
 A statistic is any numerical data
describing a characteristic of a
sample.
Important Terms

 A census is a survey that includes

every element of a population;

 A sample survey includes only a

portion of the population
 Important Terms
 An element or member of a sample or
population is a specific subject or object
(for example, a person, firm, item , or
country) about which information is
collected.
 A variable is a characteristic under study
that assumes different values for
different elements.
 In contrast to a variable, the value of a
constant is fixed.
Important Terms
A variable can be
 dependent or independent

 discrete or continuous

 quantitative or qualitative
 Dependent or Independent
Variables

The dependent variable is the one

being explained in a study.

The independent variable is the one

used to explain the variation in the
dependent variable.
 Dependent or Independent
Variables
Examples:
 Elemsta final grade and Algeb final grade

 Salary and rank of a faculty

 Household food expense & working parents’

income
 Attention span and age

 Grades and number of absences

 Demand for a product and its price

 Discrete or Continuous
Variables
A variable whose values are a result of
counting is called a discrete variable. It
can assume only certain values with no
intermediate values.

A variable that can assume any numerical

value over a certain interval or is a
result of measurement is called a
continuous variable.
 Discrete or Continuous
Variables
Examples:
 Number of car accidents each year in Metro
Manila
 Weight of grain in pounds produced per acre
 Number of eggs laid each month by a hen
 Amount of milk produced weekly by a
particular cow
 Length of time required to solve a problem
set
 Number of building permits issued each
month
 Quantitative or Qualitative
Variables
A variable that can be measured
numerically is called a quantitative
variable.

A variable that cannot assume a numerical

value and on which mathematical
operations will have no meaning is
called a qualitative variable.
 Quantitative or Qualitative
Variables
Examples:

 Thermometer reading
 Color of cars
 Marital status
 Monthly phone bills
 Length of a frog’s jump
 Zip codes
 Important Terms
The value of a variable for an element is
called an observation or measurement.

There are four scales of measurement:

 Nominal
 Ordinal
 Interval
 Ratio
 Nominal Scale

Nominal – observed data are merely

classified into various distinct categories
in which no ordering is implied.
Examples:
 Gender (Male/Female)

 Ownership of a house (Yes/No)

 Type of bank account (SA/PS/CA/TD/MM)

 Religious affiliation (RC/INC/Baptist/Jehovah)

 Ordinal Scale
Ordinal – observed data are classified into
distinct categories with ranking implied
in which the difference in rank is
consistent in direction but not in
magnitude.
Examples:
 Year level
(Freshman/Sophomore/Junior/Senior)
 Product satisfaction (VS/S/U/VU)
 Faculty rank (Lecturer/Instructor/Professor)
 Restaurant ratings (*****/****/***/**/*)
 Interval Scale
Interval – observed data are put in an
ordered scale in which the difference
between the measurements is a
meaningful quantity. (There are
numbers below zero.)
Examples:
 Temperature in F° and C° (but not in Kelvin
scale)
 Gregorian calendar
 Standardized Tests
 Sizes
 Ratio Scale
Ratio – observed data are put in an ordered
scale in which the differences are
meaningful and equal at all points on the
scale and a measurement of zero (or
origin) means absence of the attribute
being measured.
Examples:
 Age
 Salary
 Physical measurement
 Speed or acceleration
 Important Terms
A data set is a collection of observations on
one or more variables. Variable

Student Sex Final

Name Grade

Bob M 96
Carlos M 99
Jill F 79
Gerard M 88
Sheila F 70
Element/Member Observation/Measurement
Introductory Concepts
(fin)