Chapter 1: Getting Started – Key Terms (VOCABULARY)

VOCABULARY flashcards covering fundamental statistics concepts from Chapter 1: Getting Started.

Statistics

The study of how to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret numerical information from data; the science of uncertainty and the technology of extracting information from data.

Individual

The people or objects included in a study.

Variable

A characteristic of the individual to be measured or observed.

Quantitative variable

A variable with numerical values for which operations like addition or averaging make sense.

Qualitative variable

A variable describing an individual by placing the individual into a category or group.

Population

The entire group of individuals of interest in a study.

Sample

A subset of the population from which data are collected.

Population parameter

A numerical measure that describes an aspect of the population.

Sample statistic

A numerical measure that describes an aspect of the sample.

Nominal level of measurement

Data that consist of names, labels, or categories with no implied order.

Ordinal level of measurement

Data that can be ordered, but differences between values are meaningless.

Interval level of measurement

Data that can be ordered and have meaningful differences, but no true zero.

Ratio level of measurement

Data that can be ordered, differences and ratios are meaningful, and there is a true zero.

Descriptive statistics

Methods of organizing, picturing, and summarizing information from samples or populations.

Inferential statistics

Methods of using information from a sample to draw conclusions about a population.

Level of measurement and arithmetic

The level of measurement determines which arithmetic operations are appropriate for the data.

Nominal data example

Names or categories; e.g., pueblo names (Taos, Acoma, Zuni, Cochiti) with no inherent order.

Ordinal data example

Rankings where order exists but differences between ranks are not necessarily meaningful.

Interval data example

Temperature in Celsius; ordered with meaningful differences but zero is not a true zero.

Ratio data example

Length measurements (e.g., trout length) with true zero and meaningful ratios.