Statistics Is

Statistics is “The mathematics of the collection, organization, and interpretation of numerical
data, especially the analysis of population characteristics by inference from sampling."

Statistics are often presented in an effort to add credibility to an argument or advice. You can see
this by paying attention to television advertisements. Many of the numbers thrown about in this
way do not represent careful statistical analysis. They can be misleading, and push you into
decisions that you might find cause to regret. For these reasons, learning about statistics is a long
step towards taking control of your life. (It is not, of course, the only step needed for this
purpose.)

Statistics are divided into two main areas: descriptive and inferential statistics.

Descriptive statistics: These are numbers that are used to consolidate a large amount of
information. Any average, for example, is a descriptive statistic. So, batting averages, average
daily rainfall, or average daily temperature are good examples of descriptive statistics.

Inferential statistics: inferential statistics are used when we want to draw conclusions. For
example when we want to determine if some treatment is better than another, or if there are
differences in how two groups perform. A good book definition is using samples to draw
inferences about populations. More on this once we define samples and populations.

The interpretable operations on a given set of scores are dependent on the level of measurement
achieved.
Types of DATA
Qualitative - data is a categorical measurement expressed not in terms of numbers, but rather by
means of a natural language description. In statistics, it is often used interchangeably with
"categorical" data.
For example: favourite colour = "blue"

height = "tall"
Although we may have categories, the categories may have a structure to them. When there is
not a natural ordering of the categories, we call these nominal categories. Examples might be
gender, race, religion, or sport.
When the categories may be ordered, these are called ordinal variables. Categorical variables
that judge size (small, medium, large, etc.) are ordinal variables. Attitudes (strongly disagree,
disagree, neutral, agree, strongly agree) are also ordinal variables, however we may not know
which value is the best or worst of these issues. Note that the distance between these categories is
not something we can measure.
Quantitative - data is a numerical measurement expressed not by means of a natural language
description, but rather in terms of numbers. However, not all numbers are continuous and
measurable. For example, the social security number is a number, but not something that one can
add or subtract.
For example: favourite colour = "450 nm"

height = "1.8 m"
Quantitative data always are associated with a scale measure.
Probably the most common scale type is the ratio-scale. Observations of this type are on a scale
that has a meaningful zero value but also have an equidistant measure (i.e., the difference
between 10 and 20 is the same as the difference between 100 and 110). For example, a 10 year-
old girl is twice as old as a 5 year-old girl. Since you can measure zero years, time is a ratio-scale
variable. Money is another common ratio-scale quantitative measure. Observations that you
count are usually ratio-scale (e.g., number of widgets).
A more general quantitative measure is the interval scale. Interval scales also have a equidistant
measure. However, the doubling principle breaks down in this scale. A temperature of 50
degrees Celsius is not "half as hot" as a temperature of 100, but a difference of 10 degrees
indicates the same difference in temperature anywhere along the scale. The Kelvin temperature
scale, however, constitutes a ratio scale because on the Kelvin scale zero indicates absolute zero
in temperature, the complete absence of heat. So one can say, for example, that 200 degrees
Kelvin is twice as hot as 100 degrees Kelvin.
Type of Measurements

Nominal or Categorical Scale:
The objects being studied are grouped into categories based on some qualitative trait.
 The resulting data are merely labels or categories.

Measurement at its weakest level exists when numbers or other symbols are used to classify an
object, person, or characteristics.
We can test hypothesis regarding the distribution of cases among categories using Non-
Parametric Tests such as the Chi-Square test or by using a test based upon the binomial
distribution.

Ordinal Scale or Ranking Scale
A categorical data in which order is important. It may happen that the objects in the category of
a scale are not only different from the objects in the other categories of that scale but also stand
in some kind of relation to them.

Example: Always, Sometimes, Often, Not at all

Interval Scale

When a scale has all the characteristics of an ordinal scale, and when in addition the distances or
differences between any two numbers on scale have meaning, then measurement considerably
stronger than ordinal has been achieved in the sense of an interval scale.

All of the common parametric statistics (means, standard deviations, etc.) are applicable to the
data in an interval scale. If all of the assumptions of the parametric test are appropriately met,
then the researcher should utilize parametric tests. I should be noted that an interval scale is
necessary but not sufficient for use of a parametric test involving normal distribution.

Ratio Scale

The objects being studied are “measured” based on some quantitative trait.
The resulting data are set of real numbers.

Any parametric test is usable when ratio measurement has been achieved and the additional
assumptions concerning the distribution are met.

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Statistics is “The mathematics of the collection, organization, and interpretation of numerical

data, especially the analysis of population characteristics by inference from sampling."

For example: favourite colour = "blue"

For example: favourite colour = "450 nm"

Quantitative data always are associated with a scale measure.

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