1 Stats - Levels of Measurement

What is statistics?

• The process of estimating probabilities for qualitative data.

• The science of collecting, organising, analyzing, and interpreting data in order to make decisions.

• A method for ranking data on a continuous scale.

• A process of organizing qualitative responses for summarization.

What are descriptive statistics used to do?

• To infer generalizations about a population based on sample data.

• To describe the data by using standard methods to determine the average value, the range of data around the average, and other characteristics.

• To identify causal relationships between variables.

• To perform hypothesis testing on a dataset.

What are inferential statistics used for?

• To assess the variability within a dataset without making generalizations.

• To calculate the average and spread of data within a sample.

• To infer the likelihood that the observed results can be generalized to other samples of individuals.

• To rank data points on a scale for visual representation.

What is a variable?

• A fixed characteristic that is identical across a population.

• A measure of central tendency in a dataset.

• A characteristic of interest for each person or thing in a population that varies and can be measured.

• A type of graph used to summarize numerical data.

What are the two types of measurement?

• Interval and ordinal measurement.

• Continuous and discrete measurement.

• Score/numerical assessment and nominal/categorical measurement.

• Dichotomous and ratio measurement.

What are discrete measurements?

• Measurements that can have any number of values within a range.

• These take only specific, distinct values, with no intermediate values between them (e.g., 1, 2, 3; but not 2.34).

• Data that is always represented using bar charts.

• Values with constant quantitative relationships, but not true zero.

What are continuous measures?

• Measurements that are constrained to a small set of fixed values.

• Measurements that involve categories rather than amounts.

• Measurements that can take any value within a given range and may have infinite precision (e.g., 4.303).

• Measurements used only for nominal data.

Which statement is correct?

• Continuous variables involve counting whilst discrete variables involve measurement.

• Continuous variables involve counting whilst discrete variables involve ranking.

• Discrete variables involve counting whilst continuous variables involve measurement.

• Continuous and discrete variables are types of ordinal data.

Nominal data is...

• Data ranked along a continuum so that different values represent the relative magnitude of responses.

• Data with a specific and constant quantitative relationship between scores or responses.

• Data that can be compared as ratios as it possesses a true zero.

• Data that differs in type rather than amount.

Ordinal data is...

• Data that differs in type rather than amount.

• Data ranked along a continuum so that different values represent the relative magnitude of responses.

• Data with equal intervals between values but not true zero point.

• Data used for bar charts and pie charts exclusively.