Basic Statistics for Exercise Science

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering foundational concepts of measurement, research methodology, descriptive and inferential statistics, hypothesis testing, and error classification based on the Basic Statistics for Exercise Science lecture.

Statistics

specialized form of math that focuses on the collection, description, analysis, interpretation, & visualization of data

Construct

an idea that is structured to make it measurable

Items

simpler pieces of info that are broken down from the construct

Categorical Data

data that is put into bins, is categorical or labeled, so that individuals are put into a group

Ordinal Data

type of categorical data that has a natural order to its categories

Nominal Data

type of categorical data that does not have a natural order to its categories

Binary (Dichotomous) Data

type of categorical data that only has 2 possible groups

Discrete Data

quatitative data where responses are counted, not measured

Continuous Data

Quantitative data where responses are measured and can take on any value within the given range

Noise

Data issues or random fluctuations that do not systematically affect how well the dataset reflects what you are studying

Bias

Data issues caused by systematic errors that alter the dataset and affect how well it reflects what you are studying

Data Cleaning

quality-checking process of identifying, removing, or correcting bad number/answers in a dataset

Protocol

step-by-step rules

Observational Protocol

passive protocol where the researcher watches and records data, with no manipulation or altering the outcome

Experimental Protocol

active protocol where the reasearcher deliberately manipulates the IV, to measure an outcome

Cross-Sectional Design

A study design where all data is collected at the same time

Longitudinal Design

A study design where the same variables are measured on the same individuals, at multiple points in time. vc

Retrospective Study

analyzes data that already exists from past studies

Prospective Study

analyzes data that is tracked and collected in time, as the study unfolds

Objective Data

data that is collected using equipment and tools that do not require the participant

Subjective Data

data that is collected by directly asking participants for their opinions

Internal Validity

the extent to which a study is conducted w/out confounding variables, ensuring the outcome is correct

External Validity

the extent to which the results of a study are generalizable to the broader population

Face Validity

the extent to which the appearance of a study makes sense and is relevant to what is being measured

Content Validity

Convergent Validity

The degree to which a measure demonstrates strong relationships with other established measures or gold standards designed to assess the same construct.

Discriminant Validity

The degree to which a measurement tool does not correlate with measures of conceptually different constructs, confirming it measures a distinct concept.

Reliability

The consistency and precision of a measurement tool, characterized by producing the same output when given the same input.

Test-Retest Reliability

A method to assess measurement consistency by administering the exact same instrument to the same individuals at two separate points in time.

Inter-Rater Reliability

The level of agreement or consistency between two or more independent researchers evaluating or scoring the same data.

Intra-Rater Reliability

The level of consistency when the same researcher scores or evaluates the identical set of data across multiple separate occasions.

Central Tendency

A single descriptive value that best represents the similarities, typicality, or center of a dataset.

Mode

The most frequently occurring or most common value in a dataset.

Median

The middle score in an ordered dataset that divides the distribution into two equal halves.

Mean

The arithmetic average of a dataset, calculated by dividing the sum of all values by the total count.

Variance

A measure of variability that quantifies how much individual data points disperse around the central tendency, calculated by contrasting each value to the mean.

Range

The difference between the maximum value and the minimum value in a dataset ($\text{Maximum} - \text{Minimum}$).

Standard Deviation

A standardized measure of dispersion indicating the average amount that individual observations deviate from the mean of a dataset.

Normal Distribution

A symmetrical, bell-shaped probability distribution where the mean, median, and mode are equal and data clusters predictably around the center.

Empirical Rule

A rule stating that in a normal distribution, approximately $68\%$ of values fall within $1$ standard deviation of the mean, $95\%$ within $2$ standard deviations, and $99.7\%$ within $3$ standard deviations.

Kurtosis

A statistical measure of the tailedness or peakedness of a distribution relative to a normal curve.

Leptokurtic

A distribution with high kurtosis characterized by a tall, sharp central peak and heavy clustering near the mean.

Platykurtic

A distribution with low kurtosis characterized by a flatter central peak and values dispersed widely across the tails.

Skewness

A measure of asymmetry in a distribution where values stretch longer toward one tail, preventing the mean, median, and mode from being equal.

Z-Score

A standardized score indicating how many standard deviations an observation falls from the group mean, transforming the distribution to a mean of $0$ and a standard deviation of $1$.

Outlier

A data point that deviates markedly from the overall pattern formed by the rest of the values in a dataset.

Population

The entire group of individuals, objects, or events about which a researcher wishes to draw conclusions.

Parameter

A true numerical characteristic or measurement describing an entire population.

Sample

A subset selected from a larger population that is tested and observed to make inferences about that population.

Statistic

A numerical value computed from a sample that serves as an estimate of a population parameter.

Independent Variable (IV)

The predictor or variable manipulated by the researcher to determine its effect on an outcome.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The outcome variable that is measured and investigated to see if it changes or differs in response to the independent variable.

Null Hypothesis ($H_0$)

The default, testable hypothesis asserting that there is no true difference, effect, or relationship between the studied variables.

Alternative Hypothesis ($H_1$)

The research hypothesis stating that a real effect, change, or difference exists between groups or variables.

Type 1 Error

A false-positive error committed when a researcher rejects the null hypothesis even though it is true in reality.

Type 2 Error

A false-negative error committed when a researcher fails to reject the null hypothesis even though it is false in reality.

Alpha ($\alpha$)

The predetermined threshold for significance, representing the maximum acceptable probability of making a Type 1 error, typically set at $0.05$.

Beta ($\beta$)

The acceptable probability of making a Type 2 error by failing to identify a true effect, typically set at $0.20$.

Statistical Power

The probability ($1 - \beta$) of correctly rejecting a false null hypothesis to detect a true effect, typically targeted at $0.80$ ($80\%$).

Unpaired t-Test

An inferential statistical test used to compare the means of a continuous dependent variable across two independent, categorical groups.

Paired t-Test

An inferential statistical test used to compare the means of a continuous dependent variable measured twice within the same individuals across two time points or conditions.

One-Factor ANOVA

An inferential statistical test used to compare the means of a continuous dependent variable across three or more levels of a single categorical independent variable.

Chi-Square Test ($\chi^2$)

A statistical hypothesis test used to determine whether there is a significant association between two categorical variables.

data

multiple pieces of info

dataset

an organized collection of pieces of info

database

a searchable, organized dataset that is stored on a computer

qualitative data

open ended data response, that lacks structure

quantitative data

number responses

regression analysis

method used to predict the affect of the IV on a continuous DV

correlation analysis

method used to analyze the linear relationship between the IV and DV