STATS 211 Test 1 Key Vocab

Population

The entire set of individuals or objects of interest or the complete set of measurements about which the information is desired.

Unit / Observation

A single individual or object from whom or which measurements are taken.

Sample

A subset or part of the population selected for analysis.

Statistic

A numerical characteristic or summary measure calculated from sample data.

Parameter

A numerical characteristic or summary measure describing a population.

Variable

A characteristic or property of a population or sample that can take on different values for different units.

Quantitative data

Numerical measurements or counts representing amounts or quantities.

Qualitative data

Categorical data that sorts units into groups, categories, or descriptions.

Discrete variable

A quantitative variable with a countable number of distinct values, typically involving whole numbers.

Continuous variable

A quantitative variable that can take on any numerical value within a given continuous interval or range.

Nominal scale

Qualitative data consisting of categories with no inherent order or ranking.

Ordinal scale

Qualitative data consisting of categories that possess a meaningful logical order or ranking.

Outcomes

The possible results of a random experiment

Events

A set of outcomes that we can take the probability of

Sets

A collection of distinct objects or elements; while outcomes are grouped into sets, an experiment itself generates individual outcomes.

Sample Space

The set of all possible outcomes from a random experiment