to draw inferences or information

Nature of statistics about the properties or

characteristics by a large group of
people, places, or things on the
Collection refers to the gathering of information basis of the information obtained
or data. from a small portion of a large
group.
Organization or presentation involves
summarizing data or information in textual,
graphical, or tabular forms. Terminologies in Statistics
Some important terms are
Analysis involves describing the
commonly used in the study of
data by using statistical methods
statistics. These terms should be
and procedures.
understood fully in order to facilitate
the study of statistics.
Interpretation refers to the process
of making conclusions based on the 1. Population- refers to a large
collection of objects, persons,
analyzed data. places, or things. To illustrate this,
suppose a researcher wants to
determine the average income of
History of Statistics the residents of a certain barangay
The word statistics is derived from the Latin and there are 1,500 residents in
word “status” or the Italian word “statista,” and the barangay. Then all of these
meaning of these words is “political state” or residents comprise the population.
“government.” In the past, statistics was used by A population is usually denoted or
rulers. The application of statistics was very represented by N. Hence, in this
limited, but rulers and kings needed information case, N=1500.
about land, agriculture, commerce, populations 2. Sample- is a small portion or
of their states to assess their military potential, part of a population. It could be
their wealth, taxation and other aspects of
defined as a subgroup, subset, or
government.
representative of a population. For
instance, suppose the
above-mentioned researcher does
Application of statistics
not have enough time and money
to conduct the study using the
In Business
whole population and he wants to
In Education use only 200 residents. These 200
In Psychology residents comprise the sample. A
In Medicine sample is usually denoted by n,
In everyday life thus, n=200.

3. Parameter- is any numerical or

Descriptive Statistics- is a nominal characteristics of a
statistical procedure concerned population. It is a value or
with describing the characteristics measurement obtained from a
and properties of a group of population. It is usually referred to
persons, places, or things. as the true or actual value. If in the
preceding illustration, the
researcher uses the whole
Inferential Statistics is a population (N=1500), then the
statistical procedure that is used average income obtained is called
a parameter. assume specific values only. The
values of the dependent variable
4. Statistics- is an estimate of a are obtained by counting.
parameter. It is any value or Example, the number of students
measurement obtained from a in a class. If there are 40 students
sample. If the researcher in the in a class, it cannot be reported
preceding illustration make use of that there are 40.2 students or 40.5
the sample (n=200), then the students, because it is impossible
average income obtained is called for a fractional part of a student to
a statistic be in the class.
. b. Continuous Variables- is one
5. Data (singular form is datum)- that can assume infinite values
are facts, or a set of information or within a specified interval. The
observation under study. More values of a continuous variable are
specifically, data are gathered by obtained through measuring.
the researcher from a population For example, height is a
or from a sample. Data may be continuous variable. If one reports
classified into two categories, that the height of a building is
qualitative and quantitative. 15m, it is also possible that another
person reports that the height of
a. Qualitative Data- are data the same building is 15.1m or
which can assume values that 15.12m, depending on the
manifest the concept of attributes. precision of the measuring device
These are sometimes called used. In other words, the height of
categorical data. Data falling in the building can assume several
this category cannot be subjected values.
to meaningful arithmetic c. Dependent Variable- is which
operations. They cannot be added, affected or influence by another
subtracted, or divided. Example variable. d. Independent Variable-
are gender and nationality. is one which affects or influences
the dependent variable.
b. Quantitative Data- are data To illustrate independent and
which are numerical in nature. dependent variables, consider the
These are data from counting or problem entitled, The Effect of
measuring. In addition, meaningful Computer-Assissted Instruction on
arithmetic operations can be done the Students’ Achievement in
with this type of data. Example are Mathematics. Here the
test scores and height. independent variable is the
6. Variable- is a characteristic or computer-assissted instruction
property of a population or sample while the dependent variable is the
which makes the members achievement of students in
different from each other. If a class mathematics.
consists of boys and
girls, then gender is a variable in 7. Constant- is a property or
this class. Height is also a variable characteristic of a population or
because different people have sample, which makes the
different heights. Variables may be members of the group similar to
classified on the basis of whether each other. For example, if a class
they are discrete or continuous and is composed of all boys, the
whether they are dependent or gender is constant.
independent.
a. Discrete Variable- is one that Scales of Measurement
can assume a finite number of
values. In other words, it can Statistics deals mostly with
measurements. We define 3. Interval Scale
measurement as the assignment of
If data are measured in the interval
symbols or numerals to objects or
level, we can say not only that one
events according to some rules.
object is greater or less than
Since different rules are used for
another but we can also specify the
the assignment of symbols, then this
amount of difference. The scores in
would yield different scales of
an examination are example of the
measurement. There are four
interval scale measurement. To
measurement scales, namely,
illustrate, suppose Maria got 50 in
nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio.
Math examination while Martha got
40. We can say that Maria got
1. Nominal Scale
higher that Martha by 10 points.
This is the most primitive level of 4. Ratio Scale
measurement. The nominal level of The ratio level of measurement is
measurement is used when we want like the interval level. The only
to distinguish one object from difference is that the ratio level
another for identification purposes. always starts from an absolute or
In this level, we can only say that true zero point. In addition, in the
one object is different from another, ratio level, there is always the
but the amount of difference presence of units of measurement.
between them cannot be
determines. We cannot tell that one Data Gathering

is better or worse than the other. Techniques

Gender, nationality, and civil status
are example of nominal scale. Collecting a Data
2. Ordinal Scale In conducting a study or research,
In the ordinal level of measurement, collection of data is the first step.
data are arranged in some specified Data may be gathered from primary
or secondary sources.
order or rank. When objects are
measured in this level, we can say Primary sources of statistical data
are the government institution,
that one is better or greater that the business agencies, and other
other, but we cannot tell how much organizations. For example, data
more or how much less of the gathered from the National
Statistics Office (NSO) are primary
characteristic one object has than
data. Information derived from
the other. The ranking of personal interviews can also be
contestants in a beauty contests, of classified as primary data.
siblings in the family, or of honor Secondary sources are books,
students in the class are of ordinal encyclopedia, journals, magazines,
scale. and research or studies conducted
by other individuals. A combination of several sampling

Probability sampling techniques techniques that we have discussed.

1. Random Sampling
The basic type of probability MEASURES OF CENTRAL
sampling is the simple random
TENDENCY (UNGOUPED DATA)
sampling. Using this technique,
each individual in the population had Central tendency determines a
an equal chance of being drawn into numerical value in the central region
the sample. of a distribution of scores. Central
tendency refers to the center of a
A. Lottery Method
distribution of observations.
B. Table of Random Numbers

2. Systematic Sampling
Notice that if we are to select the
members of the sample from a large
population, the simple random
technique is a long and difficult
process. An easier alternative is the
use of systematic sampling
technique.

3. Stratified Random Sampling

There are some instances whereby
the members of the population do
not belong to the same category,
class or group.

4. Cluster Sampling

Sometimes, the population is so

large that the use of simple random
sampling will prove tedious and
difficult. Under this condition, we
can use cluster sampling. Cluster
sampling is sampling wherein
groups or clusters instead of
individuals are randomly chosen.

5. Multi-stage Sampling