Introduction To Statistical Concept

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO
STATISTICAL CONCEPT
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Define statistics
Explain the process of statistics
Know the difference between descriptive and inferential
statistics.
Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative variables.
Distinguish between discrete and continuous variables.
Determine the level of measurement of a variable
WHAT IS STATISTICS?
Statistics is the science of collecting,
organizing, summarizing, and analyzing
information to draw conclusions or
answer questions. In addition, statistics
is about providing a measure of
confidence in any conclusions.

WHAT INFORMATION IS REFERRED
TO IN THE DEFINITION?
The information referred to the definition is the data. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, data are “factual
information used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation”.
Universe is the set of all entities under study. Population is the set of all possible values of the variable. An individual
is a person or object that is a member of the population being studied.
Statistic is a numerical summary of a sample.
Sample is the subset of the population.
Descriptive statistics consist of organizing and summarizing data. Descriptive statistics describe data through
numerical summaries, tables, and graphs.
Inferential statistics uses methods that take a result from a sample, extend it to the population, and measure the
reliability of the result.
Parameter is a numerical summary of a population.

PROCESS
OF
STATISTICS:
Identify the research objective.
A researcher must determine the question(s) he or she wants answered. The
question(s) must clearly identify the population that is to be studied. Identify
the research objective.
Collect the information needed to answer the questions.

Conducting research on an entire population is often difficult and expensive,
so we typically look at a sample. This step is vital to the statistical process,
because if the data are not collected correctly, the conclusions drawn are
meaningless. Do not overlook the importance of appropriate data collection.

Example
A research objective is presented. For each research objective, identify the
population and sample in the study.
“The Philippine Mental Health Associations contacts 1,028 teenagers who are
13 to 17 years of age and live in Antipolo City and asked whether or not they
had been prescribed medications for any mental disorders, such as

depression or anxiety.”
Population: Teenagers 13 to 17 years of age who live in Antipolo City

Sample: 1,028 teenagers 13 to 17 years of age who live in Antipolo City
Organize and summarize the information.
Descriptive statistics allow the researcher to obtain an overview of the data and
can help determine the type of statistical methods the researcher should use.
Draw conclusion from the information.
In this step the information collected from the sample is generalized to the
population. Inferential statistics uses methods that takes results obtained from
a sample, extends them to the population, and measures the reliability of the
result.
DISTINCTION BETWEEN
QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE
VARIABLES:
Variables are the characteristics of the individuals within the
population.
’For example, recently my mother and I planted a tomato plant in our
backyard. We collected information about the tomatoes harvested
from the plant. The individuals we studied were the tomatoes. The
variable that interested us was the weight of a tomato.”

Variables can be classified into two groups:
1. Qualitative variables is variable that yields categorical
responses. It is a word or a code that represents a class or
category.
2. Quantitative variables takes on numerical values
representing an amount or quantity.

EXAMPLE:
1. Hair color (Qualitative)
2. Temperature (Quantitative)
3. Number of hamburger sold (Quantitative)
4. Number of children (Quantitative)
5. Zip code (Qualitative)
DISTINCTION BETWEEN DISCRETE
AND CONTINUOUS:
Discrete Variable is a quantitative variable that either a finite
number of possible values or a countable number of possible
values. If you count to get the value of a quantitative variable, it is
discrete.
Continuous Variable is a quantitative variable that has an infinite
number of possible values that are not countable. If you measure
to get the value of a quantitative variable, it is continuous.

LEVELS OF MEASUREMENT
NOMINAL LEVEL
This is the first level of measurement and it is characterized by data that
consist of names, labels or categories only. The data cannot be arranged
in ordering scheme. Nominal scales have no numerical value.
ORDINAL LEVEL
This involves data that may be arranged in some order, but differences
between data values either cannot be determined or meaningless.
INTERVAL LEVEL
This is a measurement level not only classifies and orders the
measurements, but it also specifies that the distances between each
interval on the scale are equivalent along the scale from low interval to
high interval.
RATIO LEVEL
A ratio scale represents the highest, most precise, level of
measurement. It has the properties of the interval level of measurement
and the ratios of the values of the variable have meaning.
END OF CHAPTER

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CHAPTER 1

Statistics is the science of collecting,

organizing, summarizing, and analyzing

information to draw conclusions or

answer questions. In addition, statistics

is about providing a measure of

confidence in any conclusions.

Statistic is a numerical summary of a sample.

Sample is the subset of the population.

Parameter is a numerical summary of a population.

question(s) must clearly identify the population that is to be studied. Identify

the research objective.

Collect the information needed to answer the questions.

so we typically look at a sample. This step is vital to the statistical process,

meaningless. Do not overlook the importance of appropriate data collection.

population and sample in the study.

had been prescribed medications for any mental disorders, such as

Population: Teenagers 13 to 17 years of age who live in Antipolo City

Draw conclusion from the information.

QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE

’For example, recently my mother and I planted a tomato plant in our

backyard. We collected information about the tomatoes harvested

variable that interested us was the weight of a tomato.”

1. Qualitative variables is variable that yields categorical

responses. It is a word or a code that represents a class or

representing an amount or quantity.

number of possible values or a countable number of possible

values. If you count to get the value of a quantitative variable, it is

number of possible values that are not countable. If you measure

to get the value of a quantitative variable, it is continuous.

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