Distributions, Statistics, and Sampling Uncertainty

Research Methods — Week 7. From the comprehensive notes.

What is a frequency distribution?

A summary of how often each response or value occurs.

What is a sample mean?

The average of observed values in a sample.

What does standard deviation describe?

How dispersed values are around their mean.

What is a normal distribution?

A symmetric bell-shaped distribution characterized by its mean and standard deviation.

How do sample statistics and population parameters differ?

Statistics describe observed samples; parameters describe the underlying population.

Why can sample findings differ from population values?

A sample includes only part of the population, so sampling variation and possible bias affect its estimates.