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Chap P Pages

Statistics is defined as the science of collecting, organizing, and interpreting data. It helps analyze available data to establish relationships and make inferences about populations. Anecdotal evidence is not valid for statistics because it is not representative data from a population. The best source of data for establishing cause-and-effect relationships is an experiment, whereas surveys and observational studies can only find correlations. Statistics involves describing and summarizing data sets using techniques like distributions and measures of central tendency and variation.

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150 views35 pages

Chap P Pages

Statistics is defined as the science of collecting, organizing, and interpreting data. It helps analyze available data to establish relationships and make inferences about populations. Anecdotal evidence is not valid for statistics because it is not representative data from a population. The best source of data for establishing cause-and-effect relationships is an experiment, whereas surveys and observational studies can only find correlations. Statistics involves describing and summarizing data sets using techniques like distributions and measures of central tendency and variation.

Uploaded by

Jesse Jae
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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AP Statistics Summer 2011 What is Statistics?

J M Knock

Read and take notes on Chapter P. You should be able to intelligently discuss the following topics: Give a definition of statistics, and describe what statistics helps you do. Explain why anecdotal evidence is not considered valid statistical data. Discuss the advantages of using available data, and identify at least two methods of obtaining it. Identify the three main statistical designs for producing data. Give an example of poorly collected data. Explain the difference between a survey and an experiment. Explain how an experiment differs from an observational study. Identify the best source of data if you want to establish a cause-andeffect relationship. Explain the difference between individuals and variables. List and describe the four key questions you should ask about a data set. Differentiate between categorical and quantitative variables. Describe what is meant by (exploratory) data analysis. Define the distribution of a variable. Describe the basic techniques used in describing both categorical and quantitative data. Explain what is meant by a lurking variable. Explain how probability helps us to decide if an observation can reasonably be attributed to chance. Explain how sample values are used to make inferences about a population from which a sample was drawn. Include a discussion of variation in your response.

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