Understanding Standard Deviation and Standard Error in Survey Research

These flashcards cover important terms and concepts related to mean, standard deviation, standard error, and their implications in survey research.

Mean

A powerful summary of a dataset's central point, but does not indicate the reliability or distribution shape.

Standard Deviation (SD)

A statistic that indicates how far individual responses vary from the mean, revealing the shape of the data distribution.

High Standard Deviation

Indicates scattered data, suggesting responses are dispersed across a wide range.

Low Standard Deviation

Indicates concentrated data, with responses clustered closely around the mean.

Standard Error (SE)

Indicates the reliability of the sample mean, showing how close the sample mean is to the true population mean.

Confidence Interval

A range of values, derived from the sample mean and standard error, likely to contain the true population mean.

Margin of Error

The range of uncertainty around a sample mean, calculated using the standard error and a critical value.

Sample Size Effect on SE

As sample size increases, the standard error decreases, leading to a more reliable population mean estimate.

Descriptive Statistics

Statistics that describe the characteristics of a dataset, such as mean and standard deviation.

Inferential Statistics

Statistics that make inferences about a population based on sample data, typically involving measures like standard error.