Thursday, June 2, 2022

Introduction to Statistics: Part II

Branches of Statistics 


1.       Descriptive statistics – The branch of statistics that summarize and describe certain statistical parameters [Mean, SD, SE, Variance etc.] of data.

2.       Inferential statistics – The branch of statistics that used to draw conclusions and to make inferences that are based on the data.

 

Salient Features

1.       Through analysis statistics provide meaning to the measurement.

2.       Statistics also explore or establishes relationship between data and its application.

3.       Statistics help in precising & making accurate description.

4.       The statistics is a logical process that provide a way of thinking, vocabulary and

language.

5.       Statistics make data ‘talk’.

6.       Statistics deals with both type of data i.e., enumeration data and metric data.

 

Uses of Statistics

The statistics is employed to achieve the following tasks in psychological sciences: -

1.       Analyzing the causal factors behind a phenomenon.

2.       Summarizing or describing large amount of data.

3.       Making comparisons between individuals and/or groups.

4.       To explore or establish the relationship between measured variables.

5.       Making prediction about the future events.

6.       Statistics aids in informed decision making.

 

Attention!

The statistics can be used or misused, so prevent the misuse of statistics the following points must be kept in mind: -

1.       The inferences arrived at by statistics need careful interpretation. Incorrect interpretations are worse than wasted efforts (Guilford and Fruchter, 1978).

2.       Before application of statistical technique, the researcher must make sure that the data meet the assumptions of the intended statistical technique.

3.       Refrain from making general remarks based on statistical inferences. 

 

Description of terms

1.       Enumeration data – The data that yields frequencies as a result of counting.

2.       Metric data or Measurements – The data that has been obtained as result of measurements.

3.       Mean, Median and Mode – A single number that provides scientific description about the position of an individual, group, sample or a product on a continuum in context of others.

4.       Standard Deviation (SD) – Statistical indicator of the amount of variability in a set of          individuals or observations.

5.       Coefficient of Correlation – The degree and direction (positive or negative)

of closeness of relationship between two sets of measures of the same group of individuals or observations.

6.       Sample – A group of people representing the population of interest selected

for experiment.

7.       Sampling Statistics – It tells the degree of representativeness of the population from the sample has been drawn.

8.       Standard Error – It is an index number that leads us to conclusion concerning how far the statistic derived from sample probability differs from the value

we would obtain if we had measured an entire population.

9.       Population – A well-defined group of people or observations.

 

Some common Notations

1.       𝑿 ̅ Mean of observed data or frequency distribution.

2.       s – Standard deviation of observed data or frequency distribution.

3.       s² – Variance of observed data or frequency distribution

4.       µ - Mean of probability distribution or expected value or theoretical distribution.

5.       σ – Standard deviation of probability distribution.

6.       σ² - Variance of probability distribution.

7.       ∑ - Summation

 

 

References:

Guilford, J. P. and Fruchter, B. (1978). Fundamental Statistics in Psychology and Education, 6th ed. Tokyo: McGraw-Hill.

https://todayinsci.com/M/Mahalanobis_Prasanta/MahalanobisPrasanta-Quotations.htm.

Garrett, H. E. (2014). Statistics in Psychology and Education. New Delhi: Pragon International.

Levin, J. & Fox, J. A. (2006). Elementary Statistics. New Delhi: Pearson.

 

 

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