Identifying population & sample, parameter & statistic

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What is a parameter?

Back

A parameter is a numerical value that summarizes a characteristic of a population.

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What is a statistic?

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A statistic is a numerical value that summarizes a characteristic of a sample.

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What is a population in statistics?

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A population is the entire group of individuals or items that we want to study.

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What is a sample in statistics?

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A sample is a subset of the population selected for analysis.

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How do you determine if a value is a parameter or a statistic?

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If the value describes a whole population, it is a parameter; if it describes a sample, it is a statistic.

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What is the parameter of interest in a survey?

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The parameter of interest is the specific characteristic of the population that the survey aims to estimate.

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What does it mean to generalize results from a sample to a population?

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It means using the findings from the sample to make inferences about the entire population.

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Why is it important to have a representative sample?

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A representative sample accurately reflects the characteristics of the population, leading to valid conclusions.

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What is sampling bias?

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Sampling bias occurs when certain members of the population are more likely to be selected than others, leading to unrepresentative results.

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What is the difference between descriptive statistics and inferential statistics?

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Descriptive statistics summarize data from a sample, while inferential statistics use sample data to make predictions or inferences about a population.