All Flashcards
Define descriptive statistics.
Methods for summarizing and describing the key features of a dataset.
Define inferential statistics.
Methods for making inferences or drawing conclusions about a population based on sample data.
What is the mean?
The average of a dataset, calculated by summing all values and dividing by the number of values.
What is the median?
The middle value in a dataset when the values are ordered from least to greatest.
What is the mode?
The most frequently occurring value in a dataset.
Define standard deviation.
A measure of how much the values in a dataset deviate from the mean.
What is the range?
The difference between the highest and lowest values in a dataset.
Define correlation coefficient.
A measure of the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables, ranging from -1 to +1.
What is a frequency distribution?
Shows how scores fall into different categories.
Define statistical significance.
The likelihood that a result occurred by chance. A statistically significant result is unlikely to have occurred by chance.
How is understanding correlation used in everyday life?
Helps to interpret relationships between events, but avoid assuming causation without further evidence.
How is the concept of standard deviation applied in quality control?
Used to measure the consistency of a manufacturing process; lower SD indicates higher consistency.
How are measures of central tendency used in grading?
Teachers use mean, median, and mode to understand the typical performance of students on exams.
How is statistical significance applied in medical research?
Used to determine if the results of a clinical trial are likely due to the treatment or due to chance.
What is the effect of outliers on the mean?
Outliers can significantly skew the mean, making it a less representative measure of central tendency.
What is the effect of a strong positive correlation?
As one variable increases, the other variable tends to increase as well.
What is the effect of a strong negative correlation?
As one variable increases, the other variable tends to decrease.
What is the effect of a large standard deviation?
The data points are more spread out from the mean, indicating greater variability.
What is the effect of a small standard deviation?
The data points are clustered closely around the mean, indicating less variability.
What is the effect of statistical significance in research?
Increases confidence that the results are not due to chance and can be generalized to the population.