PSYCH 110 Terms Chapter ONE

Variable

numeric/ categorial representations of the object of interest that can take on different values.

Random variable

a property that can take on a different different value. (at least 2 or <1)

discrete random variable

a type of random variable that can take on values that are made up of disjointed categories

continuous random variable

a type of random variable that can take on any value within a given range or interval, representing measurements or quantities.

Empirical distribution

a set of scores derived from observed data, showing the frequency of various outcomes in a sample.

Theoretical distribution

a probability distribution constructed by mathematicians/ statisicians based on assumptions and mathematical principles, providing a model for expected outcomes.

data

information that has been collected by the researcher

data matrix

a structured arrangement of data in rows and columns, often used in statistical analysis to organize variables and observations.

univariate

analysis involving a single variable

bivariate

analysis involving two variables

multivariate

analysis involving multiple variables

census population

all the individuals or objects of interest to a researcher

statistical populations

the entire set of possible outcomes on the variable(s) of interest and thier associated frequencies or probabilities.

sample

a subset or portion of scores or measurements taken from a population

parameters

numerical properties that describe statistical populations

statistics

real-valued quantities that describe various features of data sets and are used to summarize and analyze the data in a meaningful way.

Data analysis

provides a non-inferential description of an empirical distribution.

Quantification

the process of defining non-numerical concepts in numerical terms.