Inferential Statistics

These flashcards cover key concepts in inferential statistics, focusing on definitions and descriptions of statistical terms and tests mentioned in the lecture.

Descriptive Statistics

Statistics that summarize or describe characteristics of a data set.

Mean

The average value of a set of numbers, calculated by dividing the sum of the values by the number of values.

Standard Deviation

A measure of the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values.

Inferential Statistics

Methods used to make generalizations or predictions about a population based on a sample of data.

Chi-square Goodness of Fit

A test to determine whether there is a significant difference between the expected frequencies and the observed frequencies in one or more categories.

Independent-samples t-test

A statistical test used to compare the means of two independent groups.

Dependent-samples t-test

A statistical test used to compare means from the same group at different times.

ANOVA

Analysis of Variance; a statistical method used to determine if there are significant differences between the means of three or more independent groups.

Null Hypothesis

A statement that there is no effect or no difference, serving as a starting point for statistical testing.

Alternative Hypothesis

A statement that indicates the presence of an effect or difference in a study.

Alpha Level (α)

The threshold of significance set for a statistical test, commonly 0.05, below which the null hypothesis is rejected.

p-value

The probability of obtaining test results at least as extreme as the observed results, assuming that the null hypothesis is correct.

Effect Size Estimates

Quantitative measures of the magnitude of a phenomenon; indicates the strength of the relationship between variables.

Eta Squared (η²)

A measure of effect size that indicates the proportion of variance associated with one or more main effects, or interactions in ANOVA.

Cohen’s d

A measure of effect size that expresses the difference between two means in standard deviation units.